Ultimate Steak Sammies

Lately I've formed an obsession with sandwiches.This is my latest rut but I have no intention of getting out of it anytime soon. Why should I when there are so many possibilities? There is the Muffaletta, Philly Cheese Steak, Croque Madame, Po Boys, Lobster Rolls, Crabcake Sandwiches... I can go on all day with these. God could not have created a more perfect food combination..Meat, veggies, and condiments slapped between two slices of preferably buttered and toasted bread...What more could man want? Except maybe an ice cold beer to wash it down. So bear with me with this sandwich rut...there will be more to come. :) So, this time I made Tyler Florence's Ultimate Steak Sandwich (with some variations) because I've been drooling over it for a while now and have only now gotten around to making it. But let me tell you that this sandwich is well worth all of the effort!!

Tyler's Ultimate Steak Sammies



Ingredients

Gruyere bechamel:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk.
• 2 cups grated Gruyere
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish.

Arugula mayonnaise:

• 1 bunch baby arugula
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonaisse.

Steak sandwich:

• 2 soft hoagie rolls
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound rib-eye, finely sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make the bechamel cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly to incorporate - you do not want any color. Gradually pour in the milk as you stir, and whisk out any lumps. As the mixture thickens up continue to stir until it reaches a boil - this ensures the flour is cooked completely. Dump in the cheese and stir for another minute until the cheese is completely melted. Stir in the horseradish and season with salt and pepper, then set aside to keep warm.

Make arugula mayonnaise: Put arugula in a food processor with the lemon juice and salt and pepper. Top with mayonnaise and process until well combined. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if required.
Prepare the steak: Take the finely sliced steak and shingle it out into 2 portions on a clean cutting board lined with parchment. Put the shingled meat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound out using either a saute pan or a meat mallet. After first pounding, remove the plastic wrap, fold in the edges, replace plastic and pound the meat some more. Store wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator. Now the meat is ready when you want to cook it.
Heat a large, flat grill-pan over medium heat. Split hoagie rolls in half, drizzle with olive oil and place onto griddle.
Take the meat out of the refrigerator. Peel off 1 side of the plastic wrap and season with salt and pepper. Put this side down in the pan and then quickly peel off the other side of the plastic wrap and season again. Cook slowly in the pan until juicy and tender and just past pink in color. Turn the meat over and then fold with some of the cheese sauce.
To serve, smear each half of the roll with arugula mayonnaise. Top the bottom with the steak and cheese, top with arugula and sauteed red onions.
Variations: For this recipe I used New York Strip instead of Ribeyes because they were on sale...but I still think Ribeye is the best steak for this recipe if it's economical. I seasoned the NY Strips with chopped garlic, chopped thyme, and salt and pepper and grilled them to about medium doneness. Then I cut them against the grain of the meat into strips. I also added sauteed Red Onions to the sandwich. I sauteed the onions with a little olive oil and thyme and salt and pepper until they became a golden brown. Instead of using the Gruyere cheese I used a white cheddar in the cheese sauce and had no problem (but feel free to use whatever you prefer). and Finally I topped the Sandwich with Arugula for extra crunch.
This definitely was a win in my opinion. There were a couple of things I would change for next time. 1) I would use more horseradish in the cheese sauce 2) Ribeye is my first choice for the cut of meat. But all in all I was pleased with how this came out and I hope that You Enjoy it Too!!!

& Thanks to my brother Chris for helping me make this, This sandwich would not have been so awesome without your help :)