An Unexpected Bread Is The Perfect Choice For Steak Sandwiches

Craving something savory and satisfying for lunch this week, like our steak and chimichurri sandwich? Before you reach for a hoagie roll or white sandwich bread, we want you to know that there's an unexpected type of bread that's the perfect choice for steak sandwiches and it's expert approved. Michelle Wallace (@btweensandwichco on Instagram), the owner and founder of Houston's B'tween Sandwich Co., wants you to use ciabatta bread to make your next steak sandwich. She explained, "For a steak sandwich, I love to pair it with a ciabatta bread. It's sturdy. It provides texture and it's easy to chew through. A light toast on ciabatta bread is always a plus." It's delightful to find fans of ciabatta bread, a food invented to spite the French. 

Wallace added, "The thing to remember with bread is to remember to consider how you need it to function in the overall sandwich. Meaning, will it be soft, or have a crusty exterior, or even a chewy center." Ciabatta bread is all of that and more, thus perfect as the vessel for sandwiches like our homemade Philly cheesesteak recipe. You'll easily bite through a satisfyingly crispy crust, getting a nice chew before reaching the gooey cheese and juicy steak. As Wallace mentioned, ciabatta is sturdy, so the sandwich won't become too soggy or fall apart in your hands.   

To further elevate your ciabatta steak sandwich, Michelle Wallace has an additional tip. She stated, "You can add more flavor to your sandwich by flavoring the fat that you use to toast your bread. Think garlic butter or an herb oil for toasting your bread." This gives us an idea. You can make our delicious Korean barbecue compound butter recipe, using ingredients like gochugaru (or Korean chili flakes), soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and minced garlic. 

This compound butter will not only level up your ciabatta bread, but your steak as well if you use it to season the meat. Each bite will feel like you're having Korean barbecue. Of course, you're welcome to explore other flavor pairings to make a compound butter suited to your palate. Finally, be sure to further level up the dish by adding any one of these 14 toppings that can elevate your next steak sandwich, such as pickled red onions or grilled pineapple.