A cursory Google search reveals what the world believes to be the best steak sandwich…ever! Between Jamie, Gordon, Gino, Nigella and countless more opinions, the accessories to this timeless creation are limitless and come in numerous guises. Many involve something green, perhaps rocket or spinach. Parmesan makes an unapologetic appearance alongside confit tomatoes of contrasting hues, mushrooms (the more unpronounceable the tastier it seems), cheese, duck pâté, truffle and of course varying cuts of beef. Something inside me was stirring whilst reviewing these feats of culinary imagination until I finally realised what it was – a belief that if you are going to make a steak sandwich, then let it be a steak sandwich and not some multi-layered brew where the flavours all combine to make it…well, not a steak sandwich as you can’t even taste the beef after all of that.
I am certainly not a culinary heathen and definitely in adverse to admitting that some of these accessories are not only welcome but also enhance the experience – cheese, for example, is a must. However, the poor cow was sacrificed for a reason so let that be the shining star, with us mortals resisting the temptation to mess with natural flavours. Oscar Wilde was generous enough to grace us with his wit and wisdom, one of his appropriate expressions being ‘life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing’.
Rant over, let us continue to the process; one which I hope you will find simple yet utterly satisfying. As always, the fundamental (nay, governing dynamic) of any sandwich is the bread. For this you will need a sliced loaf, one with plenty of seeds as they add texture and flavour when the sugar caramelises during toasting. Next, procure a decent fillet steak, garlic, salted butter and a light blue cheese such as St. Agur.
First, pan-fry the steak to your liking (I have mine as rare as possible but that is obviously a personal preference). Remove from the pan when you judge it to be perfect, season and rest. Next, toast the bread on one side, remove from the grill and turn the oven on to 180 degrees. On the untoasted sides of the bread, spread the butter and evenly distribute a clove of crushed garlic. Top with three to four generous slices of blue cheese. Finally slice the beef, layer it on top of the cheese and put the whole sandwich together. Place in the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the kitchen smells amazing.
Open up a decent red and pour yourself a well-deserved glass. Next, stick on a good movie. Finally remove the sandwich from the oven and leave to rest for three or four minutes to cool down; slice in half and enjoy, allowing all those beefy flavours to shine through aided, of course, by a little garlic and blue cheese.
Simplicity at its finest…steak really is piece of cake!
Between The BreadSheets 