Gooey Garlic Butter Steak Sandwich Recipe

Philly cheesesteaks and Italian beef may be some of the best-known beef sandwiches, but we may have just found a new candidate for best-tasting with this gooey garlic butter steak sandwich recipe. As developer Patterson Watkins says, "There is so much deliciousness going on with this sando!" She continues, "There's something about a creamy horseradish spread and steak/beefy combo — classic, iconic, versatile, scrumptious, perfection — and we got that combo working overtime in this recipe."

It's not just the horseradish and mayonnaise doing the heavy lifting in the steak sauce, however. These are also cornichons to provide some briny tang, plus grainy mustard for extra sharpness and herbs to add color and freshness. The steak itself even contributes to the sandwich above and beyond being a main ingredient, since, as Watkins tells us, "We used its succulent pan drippings to craft a paprika-laced sauteed shallot and garlic topper." The Brie cheese makes for a slightly tangy counterpart to the steak's beefy richness, while the marinated tomatoes are ever-so-slightly tart. Capping things off is a layer of arugula, because you can never go wrong with a little greenery amidst a lot of rich, savory goodness.

To make the sandwiches, you'll need strip steak, salt, pepper, olive oil, butter, garlic, shallots, Worcestershire sauce, sweet paprika, ciabatta rolls, Brie cheese, marinated roasted tomatoes, and baby arugula. The spread is made with mayonnaise, grainy mustard, prepared horseradish, chives, cornichons, and honey.

Make the spread by placing the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, chives, cornichons, and honey in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels.

Thoroughly season the steaks with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Once hot, add the steaks, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side (for medium to medium-rare, depending on the thickness of your steaks).

Remove the steaks from the skillet and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the skillet and melt.

Once melted, add the garlic and shallots, and saute for 3 minutes or until the shallots have begun to soften and turn golden.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and paprika to the skillet, stir to combine, and continue to saute for 3 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to broil on low.

Once the steaks have rested, slice them into thin strips.

Place the ciabatta bottoms on a foil-lined baking sheet and spread with some of the horseradish spread.

Divide the sliced steak between the dressed rolls.

Divide the Brie between the rolls, placing on top of the steak.

Place the baking sheet into the oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the Brie has melted.

While the baking sheet is in the oven, apply the horseradish spread to the roll tops.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and top the melted cheese with the sauteed shallots and garlic.

Top the shallots and garlic with the marinated tomatoes.

Top the tomatoes with the arugula.

Cap the sandwiches with the dressed top rolls and secure with a toothpick before serving.

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As a similar alternative to Brie, you could opt for the more mushroomy-tasting camembert. With either this cheese or Brie, you might want to remove some of the rind so there's more melty surface available. Extra-creamy cheeses, too, will slice more easily when they're refrigerated or even frozen for a short while. If earthy-tasting cheeses aren't your thing, you can replace the Brie with sharp cheddar or gorgonzola, since both are classic complements to beef.

In addition to changing up the cheese, you might want to use a different kind of bread. Make sure, though, that it's sturdy enough for the job. A crusty, hearty roll or loaf is best, since a softer bun will fall apart once it gets soaked with the steak juice. You can also replace the cornichons with a different type of minced pickles if that's what you have on hand. Cornichons tend to be tart, so sour pickles might be a good choice, but dill or sweet will also work if you prefer either of these.

Making the perfect steak sandwich begins with choosing the right cut of steak, but it doesn't need to be anything too pricy. These sandwiches were made with strip steak, but flat-iron, sirloin, or skirt steak will also work fine as long as there's some marbling. (Sales, markdowns, and coupons are your friend.) Whatever type of steak you use, you might want to weigh it down while searing so it cooks evenly, and a smaller cast iron skillet is a great tool to use for such a purpose.

One of the most important things you can do when preparing steak is to allow it to rest once it's done cooking. Resting allows the steak to retain more of its juices, as these tend to leak out if you cut into the meat too soon. For this recipe, figure on at least 5 minutes of rest time. It's okay to let the steaks rest a little longer, though, since you'll be heating them up again when it's time to melt the cheese.

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