Flank Steak Sandwiches with Mushroom Dipping Sauce

By Melissa Pitts

My desert island food would definitely be sandwiches-any kind. I’m convinced that anything between 2 slices of bread is the perfect meal. This recipe is a play off another recipe I make for Thanksgiving (turkey is too blah for me so I serve beef tenderloin). The dipping sauce can served as a gravy if you don’t want to make a sandwich and the tender flank steak rubbed in Herbs de Provence and the rich, dark mushroom and onion gravy makes this one of my favorite sandwiches. While it’s not exactly the most Latin American recipe- it still is pretty darn good. If you have an outdoor grill this sandwich is even better- and who doesn’t like a good asado? Serve with french fries if you want to make it a French bistro night at home!

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

For the steak:

• 1 pound flank steak
• 3 tablespoons herbs de provence
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dipping sauce/gravy:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• ½ baguette, sliced in half

Directions:

1. Heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Coat the grill with canola oil.
2. For the steak: rub the flank steak with the herbs de provence, olive oil, and some salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer to the grill pan and cook about 7 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove from grill pan, set aside to a shallow dish and cover with tin foil.
3. In a a medium sized pan, on low heat, melt the butter and olive oil. Add the onion, bay leaf, and thyme leaves and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the onions down on low heat for 20 minutes–if you have the patience, it’s even better for 40 minutes. Once the onions are about done, turn the heat on medium and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms another 8 minutes until softened.
4. Add the flour, cook about 1 minutes, and whisk in the beef stock. Let the mixture come to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
5. Cut the flank steak against the grain into thin slices and place on the bottom part of the baguette. Top with the mushroom and onion gravy and top off the sandwich. Cut the baguette in half to serve two people. Put the remainder of the gravy on the side in ramekins or dipping bowls to dip your sandwich in- enjoy!
6. **Bonus points: You can keep the sandwich open faced, add some Gruyère cheese and pop in the boiler for a minute, then top with the gravy.

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