The Absolute Best Bread To Use For Steak Sandwiches

Cooking steak results in either a succulent piece of meat or one that is transformed into something resembling charcoal that requires a big dollop of peppercorn sauce or an avalanche of melting cheese to make it enjoyable. Regardless of the outcome, a steak sandwich needs the right cut of beef to be an unparalleled success it needs a bread strong enough to contain all of these juices — which is exactly where ciabatta can demonstrate its excellence.

Sliced bread from the supermarket simply isn't good enough for a steak sandwich: It doesn't have the strength to adequately hold huge chunks of steak and generous portions of dips and toppings, and is likely to result in a soggy final product. Ciabatta, on the other hand, provides the perfect combination of a sturdy shell with a soft center, so that it's easy to eat and an exceptional sauce sponge (and if it's lightly toasted, it works even better). In fact, actively coating the bread in steak juice will give your sandwich the best flavor. However, if ciabatta doesn't work for you, there are other options you can try.

It could be the case that no matter how hard you try you simply can't get your hands on any ciabatta to make the perfect steak sandwich — or maybe you've formed an irrational hatred of it. Whatever the reason, crusty bread is an acceptable alternative in an emergency. Kaiser rolls are a suitable replacement for ciabatta, but a common baguette can be used if there's nothing else available. If you are going with a baguette, it's important to make sure that it's soft on the inside and hasn't been transformed into a stale, cylindrical rock.

If you're a really big fan of bread, you could arguably also have a slice on the side for dipping up any steak juices that spill out of the sandwich, but it's probably going to be more enjoyable to have some different snacks for mopping that up. Fries and salad are both good accompaniments to a steak sandwich, and can be useful for absorbing or scooping up puddles of dripping steak juice. Just don't forget to use a plate.