Grilled Steak Sandwich

I guarantee you are going to fall in love with this delicious Grilled Steak Sandwich recipe I am sharing with you here today. Not only is it fabulously easy to make but it is incredibly tasty as well!
This pub style steak sandwich is an open faced sandwich that even a lady can feel comfortable eating. Light enough to please a delicate palate, but hearty enough to please a man, especially if you add some chips (fries) on the side!
It uses very simple ordinary ingredients. Rump/eye of round steaks. These steaks are perfect for flash frying, and so long as you don't overcook them, come out perfectly every time.
Mind you any steak overcooked is most unpalatable in my opinion. I mostly like my steaks medium rare, which means they are lovely and pink in the center, but not bloodied.
Medium rare often means different things in different countries. We were in the South of France once and went to a Buffalo Grill restaurant to have steaks one night. We requested medium rare, and the steaks practically crawled onto our plates. They were literally what I would have called a blue steak.
I never send food back if it is not to my liking. Having worked in restaurant kitchens, and some pretty fancy ones, I don't trust them not to spit in your soup if you send it back. Sad but true.
I am not saying it happens in all restaurants, but it does happen in a few. And I am not willing to take the chance. So I just grit my teeth and bear whatever I am handed.
Like I said, fairly simple ingredients. Some good rump/eye of round steak, a good rustic bread, mayonnaise, horseradish, Montreal steak spice, some good mushrooms, gouda cheese and baby argula/rocket.
That's it. Simple. With the exception of the cheese and the mushrooms these are things I almost always have in my house.
My sandwich was inspired by a recipe I found in Donna Hay, the new classics for a "New Steak Sandwich." It looked really tasty, however it was a bit new fangled for me.
i.e.. it used ingredients that are not common to most kitchens, and that might even be difficult to come by. Porcini powder for one. That's not something most people will have around, unless they are a true gourmand, and I like to think that my recipes are quite accessible for most people.
Taleggio cheese and watercress are two other ingredients that a lot of people might find difficult to come by.
I decided to use Gouda which is a proper melting cheese and baby arugula/rocket, which is nice and peppery, just like watercress, but much easier to find.
The bread I used for this is a rustic sour dough boule which I love, that can be found in my local grocery store. 20 years ago this type of thing was never seen here. I am so happy times have changed.
We are a much better traveled people these days (pre-Covid) and have acquired tastes for nice breads and the like. Our local shop sells several varieties of well baked artisanal breads.
Its important that you use a rustic sturdy type of white bread. Wonder bread won't cut it here. You want something sturdy enough to stand up to the toppings.
I brushed the bread with some olive oil and toasted it, rubbing the olive oil side with some raw garlic after toasting. This imparted a lovely mild garlic flavor to the bread.
The steak I used was eye of round. Rump steaks will also work well. You want the kind of steak that doesn't need braising to make it tender. The steak in these sandwiches is meant to be flash fried.
You want steaks about 1/2 inch thick, but don't worry, you will be cutting them in half again to 1/4 inch thickness. If your steak is really cold, or even semi frozen, this is much easier to do.

She dusted hers with a rosemary porcini powder. I used Montreal Steak Spice. For several reasons.
One, I like the flavor of Montreal Steak Spice, especially on steak. Two, it usually helps to tenderize the steaks a bit.
I love its flavor. It is a bit spicy with lots of pepper, has onion and garlic flakes, some fennel seed, etc. I think it just goes very well with beef, especially in a sandwich like this.
I used brown chestnut mushrooms, larger ones, which I trimmed and cut in half through the middles. You could use baby portabella, but chestnuts are cheaper and they have a lovely meaty flavor that I enjoy.
Taleggio cheese is not something which is found in our local shops. Maybe in Halifax, but not here in the Valley where I live.
Taleggio is a nice melty cheese and so I thought that gouda (which I could get) would be just as tasty. I was right. It was and melted beautifully.
The bread itself is spread with a horseradish mayonnaise. This is very easy to make. You simply stir together some real egg mayonnaise (I like Hellman's) and some creamed horseradish sauce.
Horseradish sauce is something I always, ALWAYS have in my kitchen. Its not just good to serve with roast beef you know. Its also a vital component in cocktail sauce and many other things. it also keeps for a fairly long time in the refrigerator.

It is one of my "secret" ingredients that I slip into a few things without people knowing. Stews and gravies to name just a few. Not a lot, just a hint.
And people who wouldn't touch horseradish with a ten foot pole never notice its there. They know that there is a unique flavor boost that is quite delicious, but can't quite put their finger on it. I do not bother to enlighten them.
  I once heard a story of a woman who was enjoying a roast dinner to excess. When done she said to the cook, "That was the nicest roast dinner I have ever had. What was the meat?"
The cook answered, "Roast Pork." To which the woman exclaimed, "You know I don't like roast pork!"
True story that.
I adore baby arugula/rocket. It is not something I had ever tasted prior to moving to the UK. It has a lovely meaty and peppery taste that I really enjoy.
It goes very well in sandwiches such as this one. Donna Hay used watercress, but its not something I have ever seen here and to be honest is not always easily accessible in any case. Rocket is a wonderful substitution.
Altogether this sandwich is a beautiful sandwich filled with lots of lovely textures and flavors. I loved the garlicky crunchiness of the toasted bread, countered by the mellow creaminess of the horseradish mayo.
Then there is the spiced, peppery steaks and those meaty mushrooms, perfectly balanced by the peppery green freshness of the arugula/rocket.
This is a knife and fork sandwich. It makes for a lovely light supper that is quick and easy to make, but can also be made into a heart supper with a few additions such as thick cut chips and onion rings. Yum yum!!

Grilled Steak Sandwich

Yield: 2Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 MinThis is a delicious, yet simple open faced steak sandwich. The amounts are for two servings, but can very easily be multiplied to serve more.

Ingredients

2 TBS butter
6 large brown mushrooms (I used chestnut mushrooms)
2 single serve eye of round steaks, each cut in half through the middle (1/2 inch thick, cut to 1/4 inch thick)
Montreal steak spice to taste
2 slices of gouda cheese, cut in half crosswise
2 thick slices of rustic country bread
olive oil to brush
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half
1/4 cup (75g) whole egg mayonnaise
1 TBS horseradish cream
a handful of fresh baby arugula (rocket)
salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Take your steaks, rub them all over with Montreal Steak Spice and set aside.
Whisk together the mayonnaise and horseradish in a small bowl. Set aside
Wipe your mushrooms clean, trim and then cut in half through the middle to give you 12 thick rounds.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it starts to foam. Add the mushrooms, cut side down. Fry, without disturbing, for approximately 4 minutes, flip over and brown on the other side for an additional 4 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
Wipe out the skillet with some paper towels. Add the other TBS of the butter and heat over high heat. Add the steak slices and brown/sear them quickly on both sides. It won't take long, only a bout 1 minute to 1 minute per side. Remove from the heat, top each with 1/2 slice of the cheese, cover and set aside while you do the toast.
Brush one side of the bread slices with some olive oil. Pop under a grill and toast lightly until golden brown. Rub lightly with the cut side of the garlic.
Place the slices of toasted bread on each of two serving plates. Spread each with half of the horseradish mayo. Scatter some rocket over top and then place two slices of cheese covered steak on top of each sandwich. Top with half of the mushrooms. Season lightly with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper. Garnish with a few additional rocket leaves and serve immediately.

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