VEGETABLES UNLEASHED

S E R V E S 4

BEEFSTEAK SANDWICH
Like many people in the world, I grew up eating food stuffed between two pieces of bread. My first food
memories are of the tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches my parents made with toasted Bimbo, the
Wonder Bread of Spain. Sometimes they’d add a layer of serrano ham. I’d always thought that tomato
sandwiches were unique to my childhood, but then I came to the United States and discovered the BLT.
As much as I love bacon, when the tomatoes are amazing, I’ll take this sandwich over a BLT any day.

MAKES 1¼ CUPS

HERB DIJON
PICKLED RED ONION FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION MAYONNAISE
1 cup mayonnaise or
¼ cup water Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, thyme,
vegan mayonnaise,
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar and black peppercorns in a small saucepan and such as Just Mayo
1 tablespoon sugar bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and 2 tablespoons capers
Pinch of kosher salt salt. Put the onion slices in a heatproof bowl, pour 1½ tablespoons Dijon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves the hot brine over them, and set aside to pickle mustard
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns for 1 hour. 1 tablespoon chopped
1 small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced parsley
Drain the brine from the onion and reserve to
1 tablespoon chopped dill
pickle more onions. (Pickled onion can be made
FOR THE SANDWICHES 2 teaspoons fresh lemon
ahead and refrigerated for up to a week.) juice
2 extra-large beefsteak tomatoes (see Note),
TO BUILD THE SANDWICHES Kosher salt
blanched and peeled (see page 161)
¼ cup Herb Dijon Mayonnaise (recipe follows) Slice the tomatoes crosswise ¾ to 1 inch thick. Combine the
4 brioche rolls or hamburger buns, You will need 4 nice slices for the sandwiches; mayonnaise, capers,
such as Martin’s potato rolls, split and toasted
reserve the extra slices for another use. mustard, parsley, dill,
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
and lemon juice in a
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling Spread the mayonnaise on the tops and bottoms of
bowl and mix well.
1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced the rolls. Set the tomato slices on the bottoms,
Season with salt.
Alfalfa sprouts season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive
Refrigerate until ready
oil. Top with the avocado slices, pickled red onion,
to use. (The mayonnaise
NOTE: It’s important that the tomatoes be about and alfalfa sprouts. Close the sandwiches and
the same diameter as the buns you are using for a will keep for up to a week
serve.
well-balanced sandwich. One extra-large beefsteak in the refrigerator.)
tomato should yield 2 or 3 sandwiches.