Loaded Soy, Shallot & Steak Sandwich

can't believe I didn't know it was British Sandwich Week

I was scrolling on Instagram when I saw post after post about sandwiches. Apparently, this past week was British Sandwich Week, and I found out on THURSDAY. If only I had known :( I would have made a different sandwich every week. Alas, we can only look forward. So, I quickly decided to contribute with this sandwich.

I love a good focaccia for a loaded sandwich, and my sourdough starter is alive and frisky! I wanted to improve a traditional steak and onion sandwich. When in doubt, I go East Asian for punchy flavors, so this is what I came up with.

I made a sourdough chili & scallion focaccia as my base because I wanted the flavors to carry throughout from top to bottom. Heavy sandwiches like this need some serious acidity to lift them up, so I quick-pickled some shallots and then used some dill pickles that were sent to me by Goat Rodeo Goods, and they are DELISH!! You can get them here (not sponsored, just ended up really liking it when they got gifted).

Then, my favorite part of the sandwich was the caramelized shallots. I cooked them low and slow, and then deglazed them with soy sauce, Worcestershire, and balsamic vinegar. I then add some flour to thicken the mixture and add beef stock. Then, I put it back on the heat and cook it until super thick and creamy. This is such an umami flavor bomb and tastes soooo good with the steak and cheese.

I quickly seared the steak to keep a rare center and then sliced it really thin. I’ve never liked steak sandwiches with thick slabs of steak- it ruins the delicate balance of all the ingredients! Thin slices of steak work so much better, and the flavors meld together really nicely.

I always think that a good sandwich needs some good crisps, so I went with prawn cocktail because I think it ties it all together really well!

I really hope you guys like this recipe!

Ingredients:

sourdough focaccia (you can also use store-bought bread)

100 grams active sourdough starter

460 grams of warm water

520 grams of bread flour

13 grams of salt

10 tbsp olive oil

lao gan ma or any chili oil

caramelized shallots

400g shallots, thinly sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

15g flour

250 ml beef stock

pickled shallots

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 lemon juiced

chili mayo

4 tbsp kewpie mayo

2 tsp chili oil (I used lao gan ma)

1 head roasted garlic

steak

1 sirloin steak

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

toppings

dill pickles

arugula

crisps of choice (I used prawn cocktail)

cheese of choice (I used aged cheddar and Gouda)