I think the British love sandwiches more than anyone else in the world. Walk into any shop, and I do mean any . . . and you are sure to find a variety of them, ready made, wrapped and for sale to anyone who feels in the need for some potable and portable sustenance of the this kind. AND, they come in varities which are suitable for any meal of the day . . . breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack!
I recently treated myself to Nigel Slater's latest cookbook, eat. You all know how I love Nigel and his way of cooking and eating. That man could make anything look and sound tasty and he is the master as creating delicious and fast food out of just about anything you can get your hands on. He has one whole chapter in this book devoted to sandwiches and the like. My kind of guy. My kind of cooking.
One in particular intrigued me and set my tastebuds to tingling. This was a sandwich he created using crusty bread, beef drippings and leftover roast from the sunday dinner. Reading about it . . . made me want one, and reading about it . . . inspired me to create my own version. I got to thinking hash . . . roast beef hash . . . in a bun.
And so that is what I did. I made some hash using chopped potatoes, chopped onions, chopped cabbage and some of the leftover roast from yesterday's pot roast. I seasoned it lightly with some salt and cracked black pepper . . .
Added a touch of herb . . . in the way of summer savoury, and a hint of snap by using some Worcestershire Sauce and a dash of brown sauce. (steak sauce to you North Americans) I cooked that all together until the potatoes and onions and cabbage were gilded with little caramelized edges, all golden brown and sweet . . . and the meat was falling apart once more . . .
And then I stogged it between two halves of a crisp warm ciabatta roll . . . the bottom spread with just a touch of creamed horseradish sauce . . . a slice of Leerdammer Toastie cheese layed on top of the hot hash, so it melted down into all those gilded crevices, and topped by that crisp roll-top . . . all that goodness tucked into a tasty and lightly crisped ciabatta suitcase and just waiting for me to tuck in . . .
Good things happen when Nigel inspires me. Tasty things. Things I want to indluge in again, and again . . . and again. I am never disappointed.
*Roast Beef Hash Buns*Serves 4Printable Recipe
A delicious way to stretch the leftovers from Sunday lunch even further.
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped coarsely
a handful of chopped cabbagetwo medium potatoes, peeled and chopped coarsely1 small clove of garlic, peeled and minced2 TBS hot beef stock or wateran amount of leftover cooked roast, cubes (an equal to the amount of potatoes)1 TBS vegetable oil1 TBS butterfine sea salt and black pepper1 tsp of either dried thyme or summer savoury1 TBS Worcestershire SauceBrown Sauce to taste
To finish:4 warmed ciabatta rollsHorseradish sauce4 slices of toastie cheese
Heat the oil along with the butter in a large skillet. Toss in the onions, cabbage and potatoes. Cook stirring until they begin to turn golden brown. Add about 2 TBS stock or hot water, a bit of seasoning, the Worcestershire sauce, brown sauce, summer savory, and the garlic. Turn the heat to very low, pop a lid on and cook for about 15 minutes, checking every so often to make sure they don't catch. At the end of that time they should be knife tender. Uncover and toss in the beef. Cook and stir over medium heat, frequently turning it over until the meat is heated through and all is golden brown. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. While you are doing this, pop the ciabatta into a hot oven to heat through.
To serve, slice each ciabatta roll in half. Spread the bottoms with some horseradish sauce (if desired) and then pile an equal amount of the hot hash on top. Top each with a slice of toastie cheese and then the top of the rolls. Serve immediately. Pass the brown sauce or ketchup if desired.