Give Me Five: Steak and onion sandwiches

Sandwiches need not be kept just for lunchtime. There really is nothing nicer and simpler than a hot sandwich, be it freshly fried chicken and mayonnaise with crispy iceberg lettuce or a toasted special with ham, cheese, onion and tomato.

Hot sandwiches are a portable meal that is both filling and comforting. I love this satisfying steak and onion baguette, which makes a dinner out of it. It’s quick and easy to make: the perfect dinner to rustle up at half time while watching a match or on a busy Friday evening when cooking is the last thing you feel like doing.

A steak sandwich like this is fuel food, bursting with iron from the spinach and beef. This is real fast food, so don’t overcook the steak; it only needs a flash in the pan or it will toughen up. You can use any salad leaves in place of the spinach. The only way this classic steak sandwich could be further improved would be by adding a soft-yolked, crispy-edged fried egg or by generously pouring some tarragon-laced bearnaise sauce over the steak for an indulgent treat.

Lately I’ve been making a type of cheat’s bearnaise by mixing hot, melted butter with a little vinegar, tarragon and egg yolks in a blender. It emulsifies immediately, creating a smooth warm bearnaise. I pour it into a little jug and place that in a bowl of hot water to gently keep warm.

Plenty of onion is great in this, and red ones work fantastically well. The onions melt down and shrink once sautéed, becoming sweet and delicious, especially with the sticky sauce. I was recently served a steak sandwich that also had plenty of salty Gorgonzola cheese packed in. It was incredibly rich but so luxurious: definitely a winning combination. Spread your baguette with a little Dijon mustard or horseradish sauce. A home-made basil mayonnaise is also delicious.

Worcestershire sauce, or Worcester sauce, is a complex fermented concoction that includes vinegars, molasses and spices as well as anchovies, onion and garlic. It’s characteristic sour tang comes from tamarind. I always add a dash of this to stews, beef dishes and cheese on toast. It gives a distinctive umami taste due to the anchovies. It’s especially good in Welsh rarebit, one of my favourite teatime recipes.

My nana made the best Welsh rarebit. She would make a basic butter- and flour-based roux, then add powdered mustard, an egg and milk. She would stir in as many generous handfuls of grated cheese as the roux could take, then spread it on bread and drizzle with Worcestershire sauce. It would bubble furiously under the grill until piping hot and golden, blistering and bursting where the salty sauce was splashed. Rarebit is especially delicious if you layer thick slices of tomato underneath the cheese sauce. Sometimes beer is used in place of milk, giving a pleasing hop flavour that is great with the cheese. It’s another really simple supper that relies on quality ingredients.

STEAK AND ONION SANDWICH: SERVES 4

The five ingredients

• 4 minute steaks
• 1 crusty baguette or ciabatta
• A handful of baby spinach leaves
• 2tbs Yorkshire relish or Worcestershire sauce
• 2 onions

From the pantry

• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

Peel the onions then slice into rings. Heat two tablespoons of olive in a heavy-based frying pan. Cook the onions over a medium-high heat until softened and brown. This will take 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the same pan over a high heat. Cook the steaks for 30 seconds each side. Season well with plenty of black pepper and a little salt. Set aside on a plate.

Deglaze the pan by adding two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and two tablespoons of water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the base. Return the onions to the pan and toss.

Meanwhile, divide the baguette into four rolls. Lightly toast the bread or warm in the oven. Slice the steaks into bite-size strips. Layer the baby spinach leaves, steak and onions into the baguette and serve immediately.

• Every Thursday, we'll tweet the five ingredients from @lillyhiggins and @irishtimeslife so you can have them ready for Friday. Email givemefive@irishtimes.com with your suggestions for recipes