Flank Steak Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Spicy Mayo

My mother often cooked us grilled cheese for quick dinners and I always loved it. We weren't very wealthy so we rarely had prime cuts of beef to go in our meals. I still remember that she served us canned asparagus to accompany this dish! To honour my childhood dinners, I offer you a grilled cheese that is out of the ordinary! This is a hearty sandwich but even my girlfriend who doesn’t usually each much thinks it’s perfect.
Yield 2 Servings Prep. Time 25 min Marinating Time 180 min Cooking Time 15 min Total Time 220 min

Ingredients

Here are the following ingredients:

Steak

  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) EACH sweet smoked paprika, garlic powder and dried oregano leaves
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) EACH dried thyme leaves, onion powder and salt
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh ground pepper
  • 1 lb (500 g) Beef Flank Marinating Steak
  • Olive oil

Spicy Mayonnaise

  • ¼ cup (60 mL) mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey
  • ¼ tsp (1 mL) chipotle powder
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper

Sandwiches

  • 4 slices bread, preferably from a large Belgian country-style loaf
  • 4 oz (125 g) Raclette de Portneuf or any other firm raclette cheese, thinly sliced
  • 4 oz (125 g) Cantonnier St-Raymond or any other firm raclette cheese, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup (250 mL) baby arugula (approx)
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) butter

Shopping List

Here are the following shopping items to buy:

Directions

Follow these cooking methods/directions:

  1. Steak: Combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Measure ¼ cup (60 mL) for the steak and store remaining in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
  2. Pat steak dry and place in a large dish. Sprinkle with spice mixture, rubbing all over to coat. Drizzle generously with olive oil and massage to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
  3. Spicy Mayonnaise: Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, honey, chipotle powder and lime juice in a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until using.

Remove steak from dish; pat dry with paper towel. Heat a cast-iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle pan with oil and add steak. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning twice or more, until a digital instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into steak reads 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare at the least (or 160°F/71°C for medium or 170°F/77°C for well-done). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. 5. Sandwiches: Spread one side of each slice of bread generously with Spicy Mayonnaise. Arrange half the slices of cheese on top of 2 of the bread slices. Cut steak into thin slices across the grain. Divide steak slices evenly on top of cheese. Top with arugula to taste and remaining cheese. Sandwich with remaining bread slices. 6. Melt half the butter over low heat in a large skillet. Cook sandwiches on one side for 4 to 5 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Melt remaining butter in pan, flip the sandwiches and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Cut in half to serve.