Chimichurri Steak and Bacon Sandwiches
Makes 4 large sandwiches · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 30 minutes · Total: about 40 minutes
This is a fairly rich sandwich, so the peppers, lettuce, and chimichurri matter. They keep the steak, bacon, and onions from feeling too heavy.
Ingredients
Sandwiches
- 1 pound top sirloin, flank steak, or skirt steak
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers
- 2 cups finely shredded romaine
- 4 sesame hoagie rolls or seeded Italian rolls
- ½ cup prepared chimichurri
Chimichurri mayo
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared chimichurri
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- A few grinds of black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the peppers
Drain the roasted peppers, pat them dry, and cut them into strips.
- 2
Make the chimichurri mayo
Mix the mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of chimichurri, the lemon juice, and black pepper. Keep it in the refrigerator while you cook everything else.
- 3
Cook the bacon
Put the bacon in a large skillet and set it over medium heat. Cook until browned and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Move it to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet and pouring off the rest.
- 4
Brown the onions
Add the onion and a small pinch of salt to the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are soft and browned. Turn the heat down if they start catching too quickly.
- 5
Deglaze with vinegar
Add the balsamic vinegar and stir for another minute, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the onions to a bowl.
- 6
Season and heat for the steak
Pat the steak dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper. Wipe out the skillet, add the oil, and heat it over medium-high until the pan is hot.
- 7
Cook the steak
Cook the steak until well browned and done to your liking: about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 to 4 minutes on the second for top sirloin, or about 3 to 4 minutes per side for flank or skirt steak.
- 8
Rest and slice the steak
Move the steak to a cutting board and leave it alone for 8 to 10 minutes. Slice it thinly across the grain — thick pieces tend to pull out of the sandwich when you bite into it. Spoon any juices from the cutting board back over the meat.
- 9
Toast the rolls
Split the rolls, leaving the hinge attached. Set them cut-side down in the skillet over medium heat and toast for 1 to 2 minutes — you want a little color on the inside without making the bread hard.
- 10
Build the sandwiches
Spread the onions over the bottom halves of the rolls. Add the steak, followed by 2 slices of bacon, roasted red peppers, about 1 tablespoon of chimichurri, and a handful of shredded romaine per sandwich.
- 11
Finish and serve
Spread the chimichurri mayo over the top halves. Close the sandwiches and press them down lightly before cutting.
Recipe notes
Cook’s notes
- Refrigerated chimichurri usually tastes better than shelf-stable bottled sauce, but either will work. Add a splash of red wine vinegar to a dull-tasting one.
- Soft ciabatta, French rolls, or sesame sub rolls are all fine. Skip very crusty baguettes — they make an overfilled sandwich hard to eat.
Swaps & substitutions
- Thinly sliced roast beef is a good stand-in for steak — warm it briefly in the skillet so it doesn't dry out.
Make ahead & storage
- Store-bought onion jam can replace the cooked onions. Use it lightly, since most brands are much sweeter.
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