Italian Steak Sandwich

This is how to make a proper steak sandwich, the Italian way. I've cooked a thick-cut sirloin steak in butter, garlic and thyme and served it in fresh ciabatta bread, topped with homemade caramelised balsamic onions and pan-grilled smoked scamorza cheese.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 thick sirloin steak 
• 1 large onion, finely sliced 
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
• A good knob of butter 
• 3 cloves of garlic 
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 large or 2 smaller, good-quality ciabatta bread (try my Easy Ciabatta Bread recipe)
• 150g of Provola or Scamorza cheese
• A handful of rocket
• Sea salt 
• Extra virgin olive oil  

Method

1. Turn the oven on at 220 C fan mode. 
2. ​Season the steak with a good pinch of salt. Add the steak to the a medium large frying pan, fat side down, turn on the heat on a medium high heat and render the fat. Then once the fat has been rendered, lay the steak down in the pan and caramelise it on both sides. 
3. Turn the heat down to medium low and to the pan, add the butter, garlic and thyme and baste the steak by spooning the foaming butter over the steak repeatedly.
4. Remove the steak from the pan, making sure to drizzle the juices over the top as well and set it aside to rest.
5. Add the onions to the same pan so that they absorb all the flavour from the steak. Add a touch of salt, bring the heat back to a medium high heat, stir and cook the onions for 5 minutes. Bring the heat to a medium low, add the balsamic vinegar and a drop of water, cover  and cook the onions until they're soft and caramelised.
6. Meanwhile toast the ciabatta in the oven until warm and crunchy.  Cut it to open long ways and set a side. 
7. Cut the scamorza in thick slices and place them in a pan. Slowly cook until nice and melted.
8. Once the steak has rested, slice it ready to serve and drizzle over all the resting juices
9. To assemble the sandwich, layer the ciabatta with the rocket first, then the steak, the caramelised onions and finally the melted scamorza. Close the sandwich and slice it in half. Serve straight away.

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