There are certain items I just don’t order in restaurants because, invariably, I just know they’re going to suck the bag.
One of these items is the steak sandwich. When done properly, it may well be the best sandwich situation going — I mean, medium-rare grilled steak, punctuated with some caramelized onions or garlicky, buttery mushrooms, slathered with melted cheese and all tucked into a fresh toasty baguette? Sign me up.
But more often than not, what you get is some variation of an overcooked slab of rubbery meat, covered with limp and uninspired toppings, and the entire affair falls apart as soon as you sink your teeth into the leathery meat (usually the bite-down-and-pull method, while somewhat effective, results in the whole steak sliding right out of the sandwich). Then you spend the rest of your time eating it in components with utensils, because it’s too messy, and you have steak juice all over your face and hands, and you need a wet-nap, and you should have known when you said “medium rare” it would just come out “medium” so you probably should have said “rare” and…gahh!…why did I order this piece of garbage when I knew better?
Sometimes you just have to make the damn sandwich yourself.
It’s true that one of the best recipes I’ve tried is probably Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Steak Sandwich, which involves pounding out a ribeye steak and then cutting and grilling in a special way for ease of chewing, and smothering it with a gruyere bechamel sauce and a homemade arugula mayo. But while I have fond memories of that sandwich, it also took, like, two hours to make — too many components and too much prep. You can put a great steak sandwich together in about 30 minutes if you use a flank steak, which is a cheaper cut, already fairly thin and lean, and takes about ten minutes to cook to a beautiful medium-rare.
Flank steak can get a bad rap because it’s a longer, leaner muscle and can become tough and sinewy when overcooked and sliced the wrong way. Some people respond by marinating the crap out of it, but all it needs is some pan searing (or grilling), some proper resting, and to be sliced thin across — rather than with — the grain. Slicing the steak thinly also makes it easier to eat in sandwich form, avoiding getting caught with the whole steak hanging out of your mouth with your hand still holding the stupid bun.
When you buy the flank steak (also known as a bavette), try to get a thick enough cut (about 3/4 to 1 inch). The colour should be bright red and the flesh should be firm to the touch. You can store it in the colder part of your fridge for three to four days. To season, just rub the steak with some vegetable oil and whatever fresh herbs or spices you have on hand — last week we made it with some crushed mustard and coriander seeds, paprika and some puréed garlic. However, you really also can’t go wrong the ol’ salt/pepper/garlic combo. Make sure you rest the meat after cooking it for at least ten minutes. I cannot stress enough the importance of resting meat — though this dude can explain it way better than I can.
You can customize this sandwich however you like, varying the toppings (mushrooms sautéed with garlic and butter, caramelized onions, fresh arugula, dill pickles), the condiments (horseradish, garlic mayo, spicy dijon) and the cheeses (stilton, aged cheddar, mozzarella). I like the classic caramelized onions and some fresh peppery arugula, and prefer a good melting cheese — friulano or fontina are great, as is provolone. My favoured baguette? The ciabatta baguette from the Baguette Co., because it’s softer and a bit flatter than the usual baguette, permitting easier sandwich-to-mouth delivery (it also means I can pile the meat higher without it becoming an unwieldy size). I would avoid using a really crusty or thin baguette — you could also make these on kaisers or soft hoagie rolls. I usually serve with a simple green salad; you want this sandwich to be the star of the show.
Flank Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Fontina
1 lb flank steak (3/4 to 1 inch thick)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
Vegetable oil
1-2 cloves garlic, grated or pureed
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, sliced thinly into rings
1 large baguette, sliced into 4 equal pieces and sliced in half lengthwise
8 slices fontina cheese
2 cups arugula
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs if you have some on hand (rosemary and thyme are good ones)
or 1-2 tsp crushed dry spices (coriander, cumin, mustard seed, or paprika all are great)
1. Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large, non-stick or cast-iron, heavy-duty frying pan on medium-high heat until smoking, or if grilling, preheat grill on high.
2. While grill or pan is heating, season steak by drizzling with a bit of oil and rubbing in any seasonings (garlic, herbs, spices). Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a separate, smaller pan, melt 1 tbsp butter on medium heat, then add onions and toss to coat well. Cook until lightly caramelized on medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, then set aside.
4. Pan-sear the steak for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer reads 125-130F for medium rare — or use the finger test for desired doneness — and remove to a plate or cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. (If grilling, grill 4-5 minutes per side on high heat, covered).
5. While the steak rests, arrange cheese on half of the baguette pieces (the top halves), then place all of them on a baking sheet. Have the remainder of your toppings ready to go and turn on the broiler in your oven.
6. To slice your flank steak, use a sharp knife and cut into thin slices at a 45 degree angle, perpendicular to the grain. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
7. Put the baguette slices under the broiler until the cheese begins to bubble and the bread is toasted — this should only take a few minutes so keep an eye on it.
8. To assemble sandwiches, add whatever condiments you wish (mayo, mustard, horseradish, etc.) to the bottom, un-cheesed halves of the bread. Pile with steak, onions and a handful of arugula. Place the cheesy half of the baguette on top.
Sara Chan is an articling student at a Toronto law firm. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column appears every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.