There's nothing I enjoy more than an excellently crafted steak sandwich and these Sweet and Savory Steak Sandwiches are just about perfect. They cook up quick and with the bold flavors of onion, garlic, brie cheese and fig jam, this sandwich is super interesting and fun! And the best part? They're easy to make!
The sandwiches start with seasoning the steak with liberal amounts of salt and pepper. Salt helps draw some moisture out of the steak and allows it to sear up nicely when it's time to throw it in the pan.
After seasoning, it's ok to let the steak rest and warm up while you move on to the onions. They get sauteed in a cast iron pan with butter and oil (I used garlic olive oil to boost the flavor) until they begin to soften and brown. At this point, it's time to turn the heat down to low and cook the onions slowly until they are caramelized, at least 15 more minutes. They can then be removed from the skillet and the Dijon mustard can be stirred in.
Give the skillet a quick wipe and increase the heat to medium high. Preheat your oven, add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and wait until it just begins to smoke, then throw on the steak!
The steak should sear hot and quick! Give it a minute and flip it for another minute and then turn down the heat. Continue cooking over low heat until the steak's internal temperature reads 125 degrees in the center. Once you reach this temp, pull the steak from the skillet and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil.
At this point, it's time to place your cut sandwich rolls under the broiler to toast. Once they are crispy and golden brown, it's time to start stacking the sandwich ingredients!
The bottom bun should have a thin spread of fig jam along the bottom. On top of that is a bed or arugula lettuce. This sweet and bitter combo makes this sandwich very interesting. It's now time for the steak, so unwrap it from the foil, place it on your cutting board and get your sharp slicing knife.
Steak for sandwiches should always be cut thin against the grain. These thin steak slices are next on the bun followed by caramelized Dijon onions, then slices of brie cheese. The toasted top bun is put in place and the whole sandwich is wrapped in aluminum foil. These wrapped sandwiches are heated in the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is warmed through. If for some reason you needed to delay dinner or needed to prep for a busy evening, the wrapped sandwiches can be held at room temp for about an hour before baking.
For these sandwiches, I added another layer of fig jam to the top bun, but honestly, I though it made it a little too sweet for me. The bitterness or the arugula balanced it nicely and I was surprised how tasty the Dijon caramelized onions turned out. There was a lot going on with this sandwich and I know you'll just love it.
I served them with baked tater tots, but they could easily be paired with crispy French fries, fresh potato chips or a cold macaroni or potato salad. These Sweet and Savory Steak Sandwiches are too delicious and too easy to not make them a regular part of your dinner plans. Give them a try and let me know what you think!
Comments