I was advised by a certain food blogger, whom I respect tremendously, to never use the word "quick" when describing a recipe. What may be quick for you isn't necessarily quick for someone else. True. In fact I have a cookbook where every single recipe reads something along the lines of, "In a Flash Frittata," "Speedy Spaghetti," "Quicky Quiche" which to me just sounds wrong, on so many levels. I don't use that cookbook very often because it promises fast meals without taking into account that sometimes it can take me up to half an hour to make instant ramen noodles. But today I did make a quick Rib-Eye steak sandwich, a meal that took me less than 10 minutes from start to finish which I think is just plain excellent.
I'll tell you right now that sandwiches are not my favorite. It's not that they can't be good and satisfying, it's just that more often than not they are bland, soggy, and downright tastes cheap. But a good sandwich, man a good sandwich can hit the spot like no other food can. O.K, and lets be very clear that I am in no way implying that I'm a pro at sandwich making, on the contrary when I do make a good sandwich it has more to do with my hunger level than any real talent.
And when I'm hungry I want meat.
Rib-Eye is good meat. I'm a fan of good meats. Junk meat is not worth your time, your digestion, or your money (even if it was cheap, still not worth it). Rib-Eye is the cut from the roast that sits at the top of rib primal, which makes it soft and flavorful. It's perfect for grilling, and also really good for a quick pan frying. If you have the time to grill, more power to you. If you're in a hurry pan frying Rib-Eye is easy. The most important thing to do is to get a cut, which usually weighs between 12-16oz. and trim it into fillets. For example, in this sandwich I used a 14oz Rib-Eye and cut it in to 6 fillets. You want it thin enough so that it will cook evenly, in a speedy quicky flash :)
I don't like to season Rib-Eye steaks too much. The meat itself is so flavorful I don't want to mask the natural flavor of the beef with sauces or marinades. I do want to accentuate the flavor, though, and in order to do that I use salt, and the citrus juice of limes and lemons.
You're going to want to do a simple and fast seasoning while the frying pan is warming up. Don't let the lime juice sit too long on the raw meat otherwise it dries out the meat. You're going to literally turn on your frying pan, add some oil to the pan, and while that is warming up you're going to squeeze the lime and lemon over the meat, drenching it in juice. Then generously sprinkle sea salt over the whole thing and BAM(!) your pan is hot and you're ready to fry your meat.
Your meat will be ready in just a couple of minutes, which is enough time to prep your other ingredients. For this sandwich I used freshly baked Ciabatta bread (freshly baked at the bakery, not my house), goat cheese with herbs and mayonaise as a spread, sunflower sprouts, sliced hearts of palm, and tomatoes. Then I added the meat and at that moment that little sandwich hit the spot like no other meal could have done.
Quick Rib-Eye Steak Sandwich
1 12-16oz Rib-Eye steak cut into 6 fillets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lime
1 lemon
sea-salt for seasoning
1 large ciabatta baguette
1/3 cup goat cheese with herbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3oz. sunflower sprouts
3 palm hearts, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
- Spread the oil in a large frying pan. Turn the temperature to medium-high and allow the oil to get hot.
- While the oil is warming up season the Rib-Eye fillets with lime and lemon juice, and generously sprinkle with sea salt.
- When the oil is hot carefully place 3 fillets in the pan and spread them out. Please be careful when frying, oil tends to splatter! Brown the meat on both sides for about 1-2 minutes on each side, then cover the frying pan with a large lid and allow the meat to cook for another 2-3 minutes. When the meat is fully cooked place the cooked meat in a plate and repeat with the other 3 fillets.
- While the meat is cooking slice open the ciabatta baguette.
- In a small bowl mix the goat cheese with the mayonnaise and microwave for 20 seconds. Mix and spread on top of the ciabatta slices.
- Layer the sunflower sprouts, palm hearts, and tomato on top of the bread and lastly add the Rib-Eye steak.
- Close the sandwich and cut out vertical slices to make smaller sandwiches.
- Eat while it's still warm.
Next time I make this I think I'll do a wrap version instead, just for variation. Recently I saw the most beautiful wrap over at Green Kitchen Stories, it screams creativity. Do you like making unconventional sandwiches and wraps? One of my favorite unconventional sandwiches (and a super good read) is from The Little Foodie, go check it out. Oh, and I don't know where the original source for this picture comes from but I do know that this sandwich image has been traveling the web like crazy, it's a great sandwich-esque picture indeed just like all the ones from Scanwiches - think scanner meets sandwich.
What about you, are you pretty creative with your sandwiches? When my mom was pregnant with my little sister I remember her eating peanut butter and tomato sandwiches.
What's your favorite sandwich to make?
What's your favorite sandwich to make?
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