Guest Post – Steak & Mushroom Sandwich with Au Jus

Today One Hungry Dude is sharing another of his sandwich recipes. Enjoy!

I love a good quality, hearty cut of beef. But I also enjoy changing up the way I eat that meat, and I often discover ways to seriously enhance the flavour as a result. This recipe calls for a few ingredients, and several steps, but it's not a particularly complicated process. And the results are certainly worth the effort for steak sandwich lovers.

Ingredients

For the Steak and Au Jus
• 1 Steak, New York strip loin or another good cut
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Four Mushrooms, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Red Wine
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable or Beef Stock
• 1/4 Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 Onion, cut in half
• 1/2 Carrot, cut in half
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 Tsp Thyme
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Splash of Lemon Juice
• Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
• Knob of Butter

For the Sandwich
• Eight slices of bread
• Butter or Margarine
• About a cup of Mozzarella cheese, grated

Pre-heat a medium-sized frying pan to medium-high. Sprinkle the top of the steak with salt and pepper, then add to the pan. Place a pot lid on top of the steak, to keep it flat, and generate heat on both sides. Flip once after about four to five minutes, then add the mushrooms into the pan. Cook for another four to five minutes, stirring the mushrooms frequently, to ensure they don't stick to the pan. Remove the steak and mushrooms from the pan, and set them aside.

Deglaze the pan with red wine, and let cook down for two to three minutes, then add the stock, tomatoes, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, lemon juice, Worcestershire. salt and pepper. Reduce the temperature by about half, then cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and using a potato masher or spoon to press down on the vegetables and ensure the most amount of flavour is extracted.

While the au jus is cooking, prepare the bread by buttering one side of each slice. Take half of the slices, and place them buttered side down on a griddle or large frying pan. Cut the steak into thin slices, and place about three to five pieces on top of the bread. Place a dollop of mushrooms on top of the steak slices, then add a handful of mozzarella to each sandwich. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and cover with the remaining bread slices.

Strain the au jus into a small sauce pot. Place the pot over low heat, then add a knob of butter to the au jus. Heat the griddle over medium-high, flipping once when the bread becomes golden brown. Once the other side reaches the same colouring, remove the sandwiches from the heat. Let sit for two to three minutes, then slice in half and serve with the au jus as a dipping sauce.

This recipe yields four sandwiches.