Steak Sandwich with Cilantro-Lime Aioli

This is a recreation of dish I had last weekend at Hugo's in Fayetteville. As soon as I read the description I thought, "this is something my wife would love!"  When I told her about it she agreed. So I decided to make it for her (after enjoying the original myself).

The first thing you'll want to do is get some sliced onions caramelizing in a pan with butter over medium-low heat.  They take a long time.  The original sandwich had sauteed peppers, but I thought caramelized onions would be a really nice substitution. And at the risk of being boastful ... I was right.

Fresh lime is a key here. I often keep a bottle of lime juice in our refrigerator. But if I was going to make lime a key ingredient in this dish, I thought going fresh was the way to go. The Mrs said she could tell. So I'm glad I did.

Fresh cilantro, mayo, lime juice, salt & pepper went into my food processor.  You can leave the stems in tact for two reasons: 1. it's easier, and 2. it will all get purified and you won't be able to tell.

See what I mean?

Beef prices may be rising, but a Top Iowa Sirloin is something worth springing for. I like to buy my meat from Fareway. If you're a native Iowan like me, you'll no doubt have heard that from many people. And I think that opinion exists for a reason.

I sharpened my chef knife and made sliced this into small pieces so I could cook them very quickly.

I love a very simple dry seasoning blend of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

I got my cast-iron grill pan screaming hot on the stove and used a light coating of vegetable oil because it has a higher burn point than olive oil. Let the meat sit for a minute so it can sear on one side.

I quick stir/toss and they should be ready fairly quickly. You don't want to overcook these little slices or they can dry out and become tough. And then you would have wasted your money on good beef.  Let it rest a few minutes before assembling your sandwiches.

This is what you're looking for. You could even let them go a while longer if you want; but be careful not to burn them. You should also resist the temptation to turn up the heat to speed this process along. Patience is truly a virtue when it comes to caramelized onions.

I bought some fresh Italian loaf buns and spread out that bright aioli.

Even looking at this picture makes me salivate. Sometimes a sandwich can be every bit as good as a fancy plated dish. The sweet caramelized onions play really well with the quality Iowa beef. And that cilantro and lime really brighten everything up and add some acidity and depth of flavor. This was fantastic. Seriously.  I had to send my friend from Arkansas a pix message to brag about my ode to the Hugo's sandwich.

Yum.