Cooking Class with Chef Ivan Flowers - Lesson 61 The Ultimate Steak Sandwich

Last week I taught you how to make delicious strawberry shortcake. Now that you have dessert, let’s talk about the main course!

One of my favorite things to eat for dinner, or any time for that matter, is a killer sandwich. Really, it is hard to beat that fabulous concoction of tasty items put between two slices of really great bread. If I were forced to name my top ten sandwiches, I would have to include a steak sandwich. Not just any steak sandwich, the ultimate steak sandwich that has all elements working together to create a kind of sandwich nirvana. The following recipe has bread that is crispy, buttery and garlicky, topped with thinly sliced, perfectly cooked rib-eye steak with sweetness from onions and a vinegary bite from peppadew peppers. Then it all comes together with lusciously melted provolone cheese.

Sounds good? Great!

Before I get into the recipe, I want to talk steak, bread and peppadew peppers. I like to use a rib-eye steak for this sandwich because it has a good amount of fat, which not only makes it tender, but it also adds flavor. When choosing the rib-eyes for this recipe, look for a well marbled cut and save yourself some time by having the butcher slice it for you. Okay, now the bread. You know how I feel about the importance of using the proper bread on a sandwich. It has to be soft enough that you can bite into it, but it also needs integrity to stand up to whatever fillings you are going to put into the sandwich. There is nothing worse than a sandwich with dissolving bread. I like a toasted French roll for this sandwich. It stands up to the steak, but it is not impossible to bite. Finally, peppadew peppers. I am crazy for these peppers. They are slightly sweet and slightly spicy with a nice hit of vinegar. They are grown in South Africa and are rarely eaten raw. You can find them in your supermarket next to the pickles.

Now, let’s get cooking!

This recipe serves four. For it you will need: four tablespoons olive oil,  one pound rib-eye steak sliced into ¼ inch thick slices, large sauté pan, metal pie pan, knife, medium bowl, tongs, wooden spoon, tongs, 3 cloves smashed garlic, one thinly sliced sweet white onion, four ounces julienned peppadews, ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, eight ounces sliced provolone, ½ cup mayonnaise, two tablespoons grated Parmesan, four French rolls, two ounces unsalted butter, salt and pepper.

Start by preheating your oven to 500 degrees.

Next, place two tablespoons of olive oil in the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the steak slices and place into pan. Cook for one minute on each side and then transfer to the metal pie pan and set it aside. Add in two more tablespoons into the pan. No, you are not going to clean it out before adding in the oil. Why? Because all those wonderful brown bits left on the bottom of the pan from the steak add fabulous flavor. Remember this is called a fond, French for base, and you can capture this flavor by deglazing or by cooking in it. Keep the pan over medium-high heat and add in the onion. Sweat the onion for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Sweating means to cook something until it is tender but not caramelized.

Okay, I want to talk about the smashed garlic cloves. You smash them by placing the side of a chef’s knife on top of a clove and then you hit the knife with your hand. This will cause the clove to smash. Remove the skin from the smashed cloves before cooking with them. By doing this you allow the garlic clove to impart a mellow flavor to a dish. Usually you remove them before serving the dish.

Now I want to talk about julienne cuts. A julienne cut is in long thin strips and the result resembles a matchstick.

Back to the recipe, once onion has sweated for two minutes, add in the julienned peppadews, the smashed garlic cloves, the thyme, the smoked paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Cook all the veggies for eight to ten minutes more until the onions are nicely caramelized. Using tongs remove the garlic cloves and discard. Take the veggie mixture and place on top of the steak strips in the pie pan and set aside.

Turn off the heat under the pan and put in the unsalted butter. As it melts, cut the French rolls length wise and then place cut side down on top of the melted butter in the pan. This method not only allows the bread to toast, but it also will soak up any leftover flavors from the steak and veggies. Next, top the steak and veggie mixture with the sliced provolone. Now put both the pan with the bread and the pie pan into the preheated oven for four minutes. While this is cooking, in a medium bowl combine the mayo and the grated Parmesan. Remove both pans from the oven. Spread mayo mixture on toasted tops and bottoms of all the rolls. Using tongs, evenly top each roll bottom with steak, cheese and veggie mixture. Add roll tops. Serve immediately. That’s it!

Now that you have this technique, play around with it. Use a different cut of steak. Add in mushrooms and sharp cheddar cheese. Serve it on a Sourdough or onion roll. Remember, as with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what helps you create delicious meals you’ll never forget.