A good steak sandwich is second to none. As much as I like a nice salad (like a refreshing panzanella salad or this fun chicken and melon salad) for lunch, every now and then, I want a damn sandwich! A fresh, juicy, hearty, flavor-packed, scrumptious steak sandwich that’s perfect for lunch or dinner – now that’s a Perfect Steak Sandwich! Whenever there’s a good deal on a beef roast at my local grocery store, I like to make spice crusted slow roasted beef. A juicy, perfectly cooked roast beef imparts plenty of flavor and is the base for a great steak sandwich, along with a good bread bun or bread slices. All the other additions are entirely up to you and that’s what makes a sandwich like this deliciously versatile as well.
What makes a perfect steak sandwich?
Bread, steak, salad leaves (or coleslaw), a creamy spread like butter or mayonnaise, and a little extra something to kick it up another notch. For me, that extra something is caramelized onions and a sweet and spicy fruit relish, like this yummy peach relish! or a strawberry chilli relish.
What type of beef cut is best for these steak sandwiches?
Ideally, you want a tender cut of beef or beef roast. Leftovers from a prime rib are perfect. But a good sirloin steak cooked specifically for a steak sandwich is my absolute favorite! BUT, sirloin steaks are dang expensive. If I’m paying good money for a sirloin steak, you know I’ll be grilling that baby for dinner! Having said that, these cuts are also great to make good steak sandwiches,
top sirloin roast tenderloin top round roast eye of round roast tri-tip roast flank steak
But, fear not. You can make perfect steak sandwiches with cheaper cuts of beef too. I usually buy chuck roast or rump roast when they are on sale and always make some amazingly flavorful sandwiches. So today I’m going to show you guys how to make perfect steak sandwiches with ANY kind of roast beef! This will help you make the juiciest, most tender and flavorful beef roast that’s perfect for a hearty sandwich! The not-so-secret secret of course is slow roasting your beef roast so that you get some tender, thinly sliced beef for your sandwich. What’s even better than slow roasting is if you can make sous vide roast beef. That slow and long cooking process makes any cut of beef incredibly tender and juicy, while not overcooking the meat at all. I’ve previously shared a great tutorial on how to sous vide beef roast. It’s a detailed, step-by-step tutorial on how to make sous-vide chuck roast or bottom round roast (rump roast), but it’s applicable to any other type of cut too.
How do you perfectly slow roast beef?
Just like sous-vide roast beef, this method of cooking is also low and slow, and yields very tender, juicy steak that works really well for these sandwiches. It’s not as slow as sous-vide, so it won’t be as tender, but still plenty flavorful! When slow roasting beef, I prefer to coat the meat with a good spice crust first, so that the spices impart flavor into the meat even while it’s cooking. I also absolutely recommend a meat thermometer if you’re looking to slow roast beef for your steak sandwich. This really gives you fool-proof results every single time. I use this thermometer right here, so I can simply insert the probe into the meat and set a timer for the right temperature. This way, I know exactly when the meat is perfectly cooked. You could alternatively check the temperature every 30 minutes, using a meat temperature probe that cannot be kept inside the oven (but is cheaper) while the roast is cooking.
Temperatures to use for your roasts to make steak sandwiches
133°F – for rare roasts (like I’m showing here which we prefer) 138°F – for medium roasts 145°F – for medium to well-done roasts (still pink in the middle)
Best kind of bread for a perfect steak sandwich
A nice crusty bread is my bread of choice for perfect steak sandwiches. I like any kind of bread that stands up to being part of a hefty sandwich. Ciabatta rolls, baguettes, sour bread or any kind of roll or bread loaf with some substance should work well! So do avoid flimsy breads which won’t stand a chance against a hearty steak filling like this! You can also make your own bread or roll, like my easy hot dog buns pictured below. Or for hot dog buns that are a little more tender with a hint of milky flavor, try my New England hot dog buns.
Other ingredients you’ll need to make perfect steak sandwiches
Mustard butter (my mom makes killer lamb roast sandwiches with mustard, so I absolutely need to have mustard butter on a standard steak sandwich). A creamy spread adds plenty of flavor to the sandwich. Mayonnaise would be the popular addition, but you can add sour cream, Greek yogurt, or flavored mayonnaise (like aioli, spicy mayonnaise, sriracha mayonnaise etc). If you’re having a warm sandwich, you can add some cheese too! Something crunchy – for me this is salad leaves and sometimes chips/crisps. But you can definitely get creative with this. More umami please – I love adding a fruity relish, like this sweet and spicy peach relish, or a mango relish, or a sweet and spicy strawberry chili relish. This adds a fruity freshness and sweetness to your steak sandwich. Caramelized onion Sauteed mushrooms Tomato slices or tomato relish Anything pickled – dill pickles are a must for my husband’s steak sandwich, whereas I love pickled jalapenos. The salty, sweet, pickled flavor goes really well in a steak sandwich. And even picked beets (pictured below).
So there you have it my friends. This is my perfect steak sandwich, but it can be whatever you want it to be! 🙂 Just make sure to get that tender, juicy steak and bread right, and the world is your oyster! Or steak. If you liked this perfect steak sandwiches recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
