A classic grilled steak sandwich elevated with seasonal slow cooked cider caramelized onions, dressed with rocket leaves, and good quality sweet & smokey mustard paired with a cider gravy for dunking.

Steak and onions go together like PB&J. This is why this sandwich is seriously bomb.com when you nail food pairings for the ultimate taste explosion everything just taste that much better. It really doesn’t take a grocery list of ingredients to achieve this either. Like here our sandwich is pretty simple and straightforward, you’ve got some nice good steak and good bread and a really nice mustard. With this you can build your perfect steak sandwich.

Amp up the flavour of your onions by caramelizing them in some fresh apple cider. The cider lends a subtle hint of sweetness and ties in nicely that fall comfort taste we all crave right now beautifully with a hint of fresh thyme to add more character and earthiness.

For the sauce we built it from the steak drippings that accumulated in the plate while it was resting and tied in some of the same ingredients we’re already using in this recipe for consistency to add flavour. our gravy resembles more of a pan sauce but its perfect for this type of sandwich. We added some of our cider onions back into a pan with a bit of the drippings to mimic a deglaze and once it was well heated we used apple cider and butter to give it some volume.

Our steaks were grilled on the BBQ however if you are pan-searing your steak the drippings would already be in your pan and from there you can add the apple cider and continue the remaining steps.

We hope you enjoy this recipe! If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it on Instagram! We love to see what you come up with. #thecommunalfeast

Print Recipe

cider steak sandwich

A classic grilled steak sandwich elevated with seasonal slow cooked cider caramelized onions, dressed with rocket leaves, and good quality sweet & smokey mustard paired with a cider gravy for dunking.

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Burgers & Sandwiches

Servings: 6

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 2 large sirloin steaks fat trimmed
• 3-4 large yellow onions thinly sliced
• 3 TBS butter
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp thyme leaves removed from stem
• cider gravy:
• steak drippings
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp fresh thyme removed from stem
• 1 tsp worcestershire
• 1 tsp quality mustard
• 1 TBS cold butter
• For serving:
• small ciabatta buns
• handful of arugula
• good quality mustard

Instructions

• In a dutch oven or large pan melt butter, add the onions and cook on low for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and start to appear golden. They should appear almost jammy when caramelized. Add the thyme and slowly add the apple cider a little at a time until cooked down and absorbed by the onions. Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Allow the steaks to come to room temperature before cooking. Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Season steaks with olive oil, salt and pepper. Sear on each side for 3-4 minutes for medium rare. Let rest under foil for 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2 inch strips.
• To make the gravy: In the same pan as the onions, reheat 2 TBS of cider onions, when warmed add the steak drippings to the pan and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the apple cider and worcestershire to the pan cooking until slightly reduced, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add thyme, mustard and butter. vigorously whisk until combined and thickened. The gravy shouldn’t be super thick but just enough that it will coat the steak nicely.
• To serve: toast ciabatta, spread with mustard, generously layer cider onions, top with steak strips, spoon 1 tsp of the gravy overtop steak, finish with a handful of fresh rocket.
• Serve immediately.