Steak Sandwich + Roasted Garlic Mayo
So back in the day like 2013-2014, there was this brunch place in the West Village called De Santos. My friends and I went there ALL THE TIME!
That’s when brunch was like a SUPER thing in NYC. There were no limits on tables, all the unlimited mimosas you can get until you were black out drunk and the food was actually pretty good! We literally went there all the time. It was always packed, the waiters were super nice and the drinks were flowinnnnn.
Well, there was this amazing steak sandwich that we always use to get it! It was beyond simple but so good. It came with LTO and a super flavorful garlic aioli. De Santos sadly, closed and I have no idea why - probably they went broke from giving away so many drinks lol but we were SO sad when they closed. Anyway, when I got back to NYC I was craving a steak sandwich and remembered this spot. Don’t ask me why but I made it and it was amazing!
A TIP! A couple of things about choosing a steak for a sandwich because you want a tender steak, not one that you’re biting down forever and a tough cut. I like hanger steak because this particular is on the lower belly AKA this part is not doing a lot of work so it’s super tender. It’s one of my fav cuts! Super tender and flavorful!
Try it below!
Ingredients
1 whole head of garlic
1/3 cup of mayo
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb hanger steak
kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Simple Arugula Salad
1/2 cup arugula
1/2 lemon, extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper
ciabatta bread (I love a good crusty bread)
Directions
Roasted Garlic - Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the hairy part of the garlic off so it exposes the garlic cloves. You want to cut it just below the hair part, not the middle so you don’t cut off all the cloves.
Pour extra virgin olive oil oil the head of garlic with the exposed cloves, cover and wrap tightly in aluminum foil and put it in the oven for about an hour. Check it around the 45 minute mark. The garlic should start to turn golden brown and become soft.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Add the entire head of garlic to 1/3 cup of mayo. Just squeeze the head of garlic, the cloves are so soft it will come right out. With a fork, mash the garlic into the mayo. This will keep in the fridge for at least 2-3 weeks!
Arugula Salad - I like to spruce up my arugula and add a pop of acidity to the sandwich, it brings out a lot of flavor! I eyeball everything for this. Just add a squeeze of lemon, some olive oil and salt & pepper onto the arugula. Massage and set aside! Be sure to taste a little to make sure it is seasoned enough for you!
Steak - Heavily season your steak with salt and pepper.
On medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, let melt and foam. Add your steak to the pan. Depending on the cut of your steak and how thick it is, my rule of thumb for medium rare is 3 minutes on each side. Don’t touch it, just let it do its thing in the pan.
Remove from heat and let your steak rest for 5 minutes.
Toast your bread in the oven for 5-6 minutes so it’s nice and toasty!
Assemble your sandwich with the steak, arugula salad and all the roasted garlic mayo! Add onions or tomatoes…whatever, it’s your sammich!