For its prosaic name, the steak and potato sandwich at JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop packs a whole lot into one roll: caraway-rubbed skirt steak, crisp fries, silky sweet onions, truffle mayo, Manchego cheese, and an assertive chimichurri sauce to counter all the richness. While chef-owner Chris Cunningham makes the components in-house, the version here leans on store-bought fries and aïoli to pare down prep. Good multitaskers can power through the hands-on steps in the time it takes to caramelize the onions, but for a more relaxed approach, the onions and chimichurri can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week.
JT’s Steak and Potato Sandwich
Makes:2 sandwiches
Active time:55 minutes
Total time:3 hours
| 1 tsp. | caraway seeds |
| 1 tsp. | cumin seeds |
| 12 oz. | outside skirt steak, trimmed |
| 1 tsp. | oil with a high smoke point (like avocado) |
| 1 | large sweet onion, cut into ¼-inch strips |
| ½ tsp. | kosher salt, plus more for seasoning |
| Black pepper | |
| 2 | generous handfuls frozen beer-battered fries (like McCain brand) |
| ½ cup | finely chopped cilantro |
| ¼ cup | finely chopped oregano |
| ½ tsp. | crushed red pepper |
| 1 | garlic clove, finely chopped |
| 1 tsp. | whole grain mustard |
| ¼ cup | red wine vinegar |
| ⅓ cup | olive oil |
| 2 | 8-inch sesame sub rolls |
| ½ cup | grated Manchego |
| ½ cup | truffle aïoli (like Sir Kensington’s brand) |
1. Season the steak: Heat a small skillet over medium. Add caraway and cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Coarsely grind spices with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Rub spice mixture over both sides of steak. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Caramelize the onions: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if they look dry, until deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Make the fries and chimichurri: Heat the oven and prepare fries according to package instructions. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together herbs, red pepper, garlic, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and set aside.
4. Grill the steak: Heat the grill to high. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper, then grill to desired doneness (about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium). Rest steak for at least 5 minutes, then slice into ½-inch cubes.
5. Assemble: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve rolls lengthwise, taking care not to cut through the hinge, and sprinkle each with half the Manchego. Toast rolls in the oven for 4 minutes. Generously spread aïoli inside each roll, then top with steak, onions, a spoonful of chimichurri, a handful of fries, and remaining Manchego. Close sandwich, cut in half with a sharp knife, and serve.