Mexican Style Steak Sandwich

By Dana Sims on February 10, 2020 in Food

Ay Caramba! by Dana Sims.

It’s time to get creative with your summer Aussie barbecue. This steak sandwich, with a nod to Mexican flavours, is simply delicious and worthy of entertaining your besties.
To give it a Mexican twist, the steak is marinated in a fragrant combination of orange juice, chilli and garlic. Pickling vegetables, while not a new concept, seems to be having a big moment in home kitchens and it really adds another dimension of flavour to this steak sandwich.
Give it a bit of spice to your liking, a good lathering of guacamole and the tangy zestiness of lime.
It’s important to use a tender cut of beef. I used eye fillet but any good quality steak juicy enough to sink your teeth into is perfect. Just be sure to get some char on the outside.
This is a recipe of simplicity and ease, perfect for casual summer cooking and dining outdoors. This recipe makes two steak sandwiches and definitely requires napkins!

Ingredients
2 eye fillet steaks, 150gms each

Marinade for the steak
Juice of half an orange
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 small clove garlic, minced

Pickled onions
1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
Juice of half an orange
Juice of a lime
2 chillies, finely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper

Guacamole
1½ ripe avocados
Juice of ¼ of a lime
Small bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped (extra for garnish)
Sea salt
Ground black pepper

4 baby gem lettuce leaves
2 large slices mature cheddar cheese
4 slices sourdough, very lightly toasted
Chipotle or Habanero (very hot) chilli sauce

Method
1. To make the pickled onions, cover the onion slices with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and add orange and lime juices and chilli. Season with salt and pepper and leave to marinate for several hours.
2. Thin out the steaks a little with a meat tenderiser.
3. To marinate the steak, combine the juice from the orange, chilli flakes and garlic in a bowl, then add the steak and coat generously. Set aside for 20 minutes.
4. To make the guacamole, mash the avocado into a bowl, add the lime juice, coriander and season with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Drain the marinade from the steaks.
6. Heat the barbecue to high. When the grill is searing hot, add the steaks and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes (medium rare) or to your liking. Remove from the barbecue and cover with foil to rest for 5 minutes. Alternatively, cook the steaks indoors on a hot griddle pan. When rested, slice the steak into 2-3 slices to layer on the sandwich.
7. To assemble the steak sandwiches, place the toasted sourdough on the bottom, spread liberally with guacamole, lettuce, cheddar, steak, chipotle, pickled onions and finally the sourdough top. Sprinkle with fresh coriander to serve.

Dana Sims is a Sydney-based food and prop stylist who has grown up in the Eastern Suburbs and loves to create delicious food for entertaining and family. She is inspired by the fresh produce we have access to here in Sydney. For ideas, recipes and styling inspiration, check out her Instagram, @stone_and_twine.