TCP's Steak Sandwiches with Soy-Ginger Mayo - No one can eat just one!
This sandwich has become a Complete Package signature dish. He’s made it so often, family and friends consider it a trademark TCP creation. But the truth is the recipe came from The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook (2001, Boston Common Press). Once he tried it, we were hooked. The recipe may sound less than dazzling at first glance, but it’s packed with tremendous flavor. It’s hard to describe, except to say that everyone who’s ever tried it loves it. Last week, when Mom and two of my sisters were here, TCP broke out the flank steak sandwiches, and they fell in love. They’re that good. The key is a good flank steak and the soy-ginger mayonnaise. If you’re not a ginger fan, don’t worry. Mom isn’t either, but she loved these sandwiches. All I can say is “try them…you’ll like them!”
First, mix up the Soy-Ginger Mayonnaise:
1/2 cup of Hellman’s Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip, Hellman’s – TCP insists)
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of garlic, smashed to a paste
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. You can make this up to one day in advance, and it really tastes best if you make it early so all the flavors come together.
For the sandwiches, you’ll need:
1 1/2 pounds of flank steak, trimmed of fat & patted dry
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
Salt & Pepper, to your own taste
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (if you use a skillet)
1 baguette of French bread (use a good soft one)
The soy-ginger mayonnaise (made in advance)
1/2 of a small purple onion, sliced paper thin
2-3 cups of arugula, washed, stemmed & dried
Season your flank steak with garlic salt, salt & pepper. If you’re using a cast iron skillet, heat it to blazing hot first, add the oil and then add your flank steak. If you’re using an outdoor grill, you can skip the oil and just season it first. Either way, cook your flank steak over high heat until the outside is seared and the inside is medium-rare. Remove from the heat and allow it to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. If you have a piece of foil handy, throw it over the steak to keep it warm. While the steak is resting, prep the rest of the sandwich.
Slice your baguette in half lengthwise and toast each half on the grill or in a dry skillet or griddle until lightly toasted. Spread each half liberally with soy-ginger mayonnaise. Cutting across the grain and on a bias (45 degree angle), thinly slice your flank steak and place it on the bottom half of the baguette. Top the steak with purple onion and arugula and put the lid on it. Gently press the sandwich to bring it all together, then slice into 4″ to 6″ segments and serve immediately.
We could talk about side dishes for this meal, but the truth is I never remember what we had with these sandwiches. Pickles? Chips? Maybe. I really couldn’t tell you. They’re so good, everything else becomes a blur. And really, you don’t need anything except a handful of napkins and something cold to wash them down with. Enjoy! And thanks for making these for the girls, honey. You da’ man!
Inside NanaBread's Head 
Yummy, yummy in my tummy!! They were delicious! I will have to make them here at home for the family.
Mmmm…mmm…good. That’s what they are. You’ll have to let me know what they think once they’ve tried them. I could eat one right now.
Mmmm. The soy-ginger mayo sounds incredible. I like AMerica’s Test Kitchen. Christopher Kimball (is that his name?) makes me laugh because he’s SOOOO serious all the time. And doesn’t he wear a bowtie? Not enough bowtie wearing men anymore…
Ha! Yes, Chris Kimball is one of the few men you’ll see today wearing a bowtie – unless you’re looking at a box of Orville Reddenbacher popcorn. He’s an interesting guy. I like the way he delves into the science behind cooking and taste testing segments. But mostly, I love to laugh at the way he groans every time he tries a completed recipe, and then declares it the best ever. I’ve never heard him say, “Sorry, Bridgette. That one just doesn’t do it for me.”
I’ve learned so much from the America’s Test Kitchen shows on PBS, and I love that their cookbooks spend just as much time explaining how they tested recipes and came to their conclusions about what worked best. Their tips are useful for much more than any one specific recipe. Thanks to them, I can also make perfect scones. Mmmm…. scones.
Stop the presses! TCP cooks, too?! Now I see why he is The Complete Package. Nothing hotter than a man that cooks. Unless, of course, that man also cleans and folds laundry.
I LOVE the soy/ginger combo in just about anything.
Heck, yes! The Complete Package cooks, and he does it really, really well. Sometimes better than me. AND he cleans up the kitchen after he cooks. AND he helps with the laundry when I’m sick. AND he knows how to run a vacuum cleaner. I’m telling you, we don’t call him The Complete Package for nothing! I’m going to start putting in more of his recipes just so I can prove it.
This ain’t no ordinary mayo. I LOVED this sandwich.
By the way, it was hot sweet pickles as a side and they almost killed me.
Ah, yes…. the dreaded but wonderful spicy sweet pickles we bought in McKinney. Now I remember. They were awesome, but my mouth was on fire! And I remember a red cayenne-induced pickle juice ring on my plate, too. Ah… it was a very good meal. Thank you, God, for America’s Test Kitchen, The Complete Package, and that soy-ginger mayonnaise. Amen.
Pingback: Not Your Average Sandwich | Broken Resolutions
Love, loved, loved your soy-ginger steak sandwiches!! Thank you so much for sharing and giving me the inspiration to create a new family dish. It is a keeper and I have been asked to make sure it gets added to our list of regular dishes!
http://brokenresolutions.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/not-your-average-sandwich/
Awesome, Katie! I’m thrilled you liked it, and I love that you adapted it to suit your family and what you had in your fridge. I do that all the time. Thanks for sharing the outcome with me. It’s great to know something I shared has become a family favorite in someone else’s home. The Complete Package would be proud.
Pingback: TCP Cooks: New York-Style Cheesecake | Inside NanaBread's Head
Pingback: My First Blogging Award and I’m Just A Little Excited About It!! | Broken Resolutions
I just made this mayo and it’s amazing! Much better than I expected, thanks for putting the recipe up.
Very cool. TCP will be happy to hear that you loved it. Thanks so much for letting us know! -NB
Pingback: TCP Cooks: Ciabatta Sunday | Inside NanaBread's Head