Steak Sandwiches Get A Saucy Flavor Boost When You Mix These 2 Condiments

There are a few rules for making steak sandwiches. First, one must skip the spendy cuts like filet mignon and chateaubriand. Once you're slicing and likely saucing said beef, you're just going to want to use a less precious selection. Second, because you are sandwiching somewhat more affordable meat, you should feel free to have fun with some of those toppings. And combining equal parts of the classic A.1. steak sauce with mayonnaise (or adjusting to taste) before spreading it on some sturdy bread will have you feeling like a kid at the Slurpee machine.

The famed British steak sauce A.1. is an undisputed condiment icon. But many folks just won't want to cloak fine works of butchery (with the price tags to match) in its tangy, somewhat fruity and near-sweet flavor. The flank and skirt streaks that are so great for sandwiches also happen to be (relatively) cheaper, so there's a little less pressure to wrench the unadulterated bovine essence out of every bite. You still want some, however, and anything joined with A.1. tends to taste more like A.1. than anything else. As paradoxical as it may seem, mingling the sauce with creamy mayo actually tones it down enough to let more of the inimitable cattle quality break through. The mayo is neutral enough to calm the A.1.'s intensity without competing. It also gives A.1.'s thinner consistency more body so it doesn't drip all over the place out of your sandwich's borders. And the bespoke blend goes well with a lot of other steak sandwich fillings, too.

A lot of great steak sandwiches are topped with cheese. The $38 prime rib edition at Delmonico's, one of the best steakhouses in New York City, for example, uses Gouda. Somewhat nutty Gouda is a pretty assertive flavor; assertive enough to stand up to the A.1.'s own potency. Something like a zippy Monterey Jack would perform nicely, as well. The A.1. sauce also cuts the fat of the mayo that might have become too unctuous when coupled with the cheese alone, in any case.

A steak sandwich's decadence also invites some crisp freshness. Peppery arugula is always an excellent green to pair, and some perky tomatoes seem like a natural fit from there. Caramelized onions or shallots also send the whole thing over the top, and they'll even help to bring out the A.1.'s own alliums in this case, while the mayo better adheres them in the sandwich where they belong.