On some special Saturday, try this recipe for a really delicious sandwich. It’s inspired by a recipe from Nancy Silverton, but there are endless ways to make this your own. Spice it up with pepper jack or cheddar cheese, add a sweet onion or tomato slice, change the lettuce, add a slice of bacon or some sautéed mushrooms…anything goes with this wonderful peppered beef.
Peppered Beef Sandwiches, with Havarti, Arugula, and Caper Onion Mayonnaise
Serves 4
For the beef
8 ounces filet mignon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons of good quality coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing on the meat
1 Loaf ciabbata bread (or 8 slices of any bread you prefer)
About 2 cups of arugula, rinsed and dried
4 slices of Havarti cheese
Caper Onion Mayonnaise (see below)
Salt the filet on both sides.
Spread the black pepper on a plate and stir to combine. Press each side of the filet into the pepper, so that it’s evenly coated.
In a small cast-iron or heavy-duty skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. When the oil is very hot and almost smoking, sear the beef about a minute on each side, until it releases from the pan and is nicely browned. Remove from the pan to a plate and refrigerate until cold. Using a sharp knife, slice the beef, against the grain, into ¼ inch thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil, and place them all between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Use a mallet or a meat tenderizer to gently pound each piece until it’s 1/8 inch thick.
To assemble the sandwiches: Spread about 2 tablespoons of the caper mayonnaise over each slice of bread. Place 2 slices of beef over each half, top with a slice of cheese, a handful of arugula and about 2 slices more of beef. Top and slice.
Caper Onion Mayonnaise
Makes 1 cup
1 Cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
3 tablespoons, red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Stir together and chill until needed.
Now *this* is my kind of sandwich! Love the addition of the caper onion mayo – yum!
Thanks Erika–and the caper onion mayo makes enough to use for something else–I made a tuna salad with it that was really good…
These look and sound delicious! My husband would die and go to heaven. Well done and lovely photos!
My husband isn’t usually a fan of sandwiches as a meal, but I think this would convince him. Yum!
I say let’s go protein loading! This is perfect for a pre-workout breakfast for hubby and me…Or when you need to bring a sandwich to work because you know you cannot go out for lunch. Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome Karly. Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you Emily.