Open - Faced Balsamic Steak Sandwiches

Slow Marinade, Open and Honest

There is something quietly confident about a dish that asks you to wait. The steak needs time — unhurried hours in a balsamic marinade — and that patience is the whole point. What comes together on the board afterward is tender and layered: a little sweet, a little sharp, grounded by the char of a hot pan and softened by fruit and good cheese. This is the kind of meal that feels assembled rather than cooked, and somehow that makes it feel more generous. A plate you linger over.

Ingredients

• • Marinade • •
• 3 tablespoons Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons Alessi Balsamic Reduction
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoons Alessi Sea Salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• • Sandwiches • •
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
• 1/3 cups mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Alessi balsamic Reduction
• 4-6 large slices of bread (I used sour dough)
• Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• fresh arugula
• 4-6 ounces manchego cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red pear, thinly sliced
• Extra Alessi Balsamic Reduction (flavor of your choice), for drizzling

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients.
2. Place the steak in a zip-lock bag or a glass baking dish and pour the marinade on top.
3. Seal the bag, or cover the pan tightly, with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight (the longer it sits, the better it tastes).
4. While the meat is marinating, place the bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toast in a 350-degree oven, for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
5. As the bread is toasting, whisk together the mayonnaise and balsamic reduction to create the aioli. Set aside.
6. Once the meat has finished marinating, place a grill pan or cast iron skillet on a medium-high heat burner.
7. Allow to heat for a few minutes, then spray the pan lightly with cooking spray and place the steak on.
8. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip the meat and cook another 3-5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked to your liking.
9. Remove from the heat and place on a cutting board.
10. Allow to cool for a few minutes, before thinly slicing it.
11. To assemble the sandwiches, spread aioli on the bread.
12. Top with arugula, then add on a few slices of steak, some red onion, 3-4 slices of manchego cheese, pear slices and finish with a balsamic reduction drizzle.