How to make Perfect Steak Sandwiches

Learn how to make Perfect Steak Sandwiches with these tips on how to make tender, juicy, flavorful, thinly-sliced slow roasted beef and a range of different fillings to create a hearty, scrumptious steak sandwich, that’s perfect for lunch or dinner!

A good steak sandwich is second to none. As much as I like a nice salad for lunch, every now and then, I want a damn steak 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 steak sandwich deliciously versatile as well.

Slow roasted beef cooked rare, caramelized onions, and sweet and spicy peach relish

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!

What type of beef cut is best for 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 steak 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 steak sandwich!

Spice paste for the beef roast

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 sous-vide your beef roast. 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 tutorial on how to sous-vide beef roast on my blog here. It’s a detailed, step-by-step tutorial on how to sous-vide chuck roast or bottom round roast (rump roast), but it’s applicable to any other type of cut too.

Sous-vide beef roast

How do you perfectly slow roast beef?

Just like sous-vide, this method of cooking is also low and slow, and yields very tender, juicy steak that works really well for steak 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.

Here are the 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)

What’s the 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 like my easy homemade hot dog buns pictured here!

What else do I 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. 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.

Pickled beet!

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.

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Perfect Steak Sandwiches

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Resting + Smoke time: 1 hour

Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 496 kcal

Author: Dini @ The Flavor Bender

Learn how to make Perfect Steak Sandwiches - with these tips on how to make tender, juicy slow roasted beef slices and a range of different fillings to create a flavorful, hearty steak sandwich that's perfect for lunch or dinner!

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Ingredients

Slow Roasted Beef Roast (will make several Steak sandwiches)

• 2 sprigs of rosemary stalks removed, only leaves
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1.5 tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• 2 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2.5 lbs beef roast chuck or rump roast, or sirloin top roast, or eye of round roast

Mustard Butter

• 2 tbsp dijonnaise
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• Salt to taste

Steak Sandwiches (For Two)

• 2 whole meal bread buns split and toasted
• 3 tbsp mustard butter
• Thinly sliced slow roasted beef
• 1/4 cup peach relish or more
• Caramelized onions
• 2 - 3 tbsp mayonnaise

Instructions

Slow Roasted Beef Roast

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking tray with foil and place a baking rack (roast rack) on top.
2. Place the rosemary, garlic and oil in a small food processor. Process until you have a paste.

3. Mix the rosemary-garlic paste with the salt and pepper. Spread half of this spice paste over the beef roast.

4. Heat a cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil and allow it to heat up. When the oil is hot, sear the beef roast in the pan, 3 - 4 minutes per side, until you form a caramelized crust.

5. Place the seared cut of roast on the roast rack and spread the other half of the spice paste on the roast.

6. Insert the meat thermometer into the roast, and place it in the preheated oven. Set the temperature to the required done-ness (133°F - rare, 138°F - medium, 145°F - medium to well-done), and slow roast the beef until the meat reaches the right temperature (mine took 2 hr 45 minutes for a 134°F internal temperature).

7. When the roast is cooked through, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 20 - 30 minutes.

8. OPTIONAL STEP to smoke the roast - place the slow roasted beef in an airtight, glass container. Using a hand-held smoker, create smoke with hickory wood chips. Fill the container with the smoke and close it immediately. Allow the smoke to infuse with the roast, until the smoke disappears. Repeat this process 2 - 3 more times, to add a delightful smokiness to  your roast.

9. When ready to serve, slice very thinly and serve.

Mustard Butter

1. Mix the dijonnaise and butter until you have a smooth paste. Add salt to taste. Set aside until needed.

Steak Sandwiches (For Two)

1. Spread the mustard butter on the lower half of the toasted buns.

2. Top with thinly sliced slow roasted beef, followed by the caramelized onions and peach relish.

3. Layer the salad leaves on top. Spread mayonnaise on the top half of the bread bun and serve with potato chips.