Do not buy an expensive cut of beef like a strip steak. Save the strip steak for a true steak night. Try tri-tip (also known as Newport steak – one of many overly romanticized NYC food terminology additions).

Use a well seasoned cast iron pan instead of stainless steel pan. You don’t need to add olive oil since beef has plenty of fat. Wait for the cast iron pan to fully heat up, which may take up to ten minutes. If you have to use an All-clad, it won’t be a problem. Also heat the oven to at least 500 degrees.

After the steak is defrosted inside the fridge, leave it out on the counter for at least an hour (allows internal temp to reach room temp for even cooking). If you still insist on buying strip steaks, liberally add kosher salt (salt and pepper are not joined at the hips) and char the outside on medium to high heat (not low like the recipe) for a minute or two on each side (depending on the thickness). Then stick it in the oven for four minutes for medium rare. The searing-oven method will turn out a more tender steak.

Remove the steak from the oven and let it rest on a plate loosely covered with foil for ten minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Thinly slice the steak for easy chewing.

Instead of using a mustard-mayo sauce (mayo on beef – gross), look for one of the salad dressings that are terrible on salads like a non-vinegar tomato based dressing or mild picante dressing.

Caramelized onions are overdone in steak sandwiches. Consider using pepper jack cheese and lightly sauteed red onions.

I constantly look to improve on my vegetarian dishes, but I also can’t deny that beef will always have my heart. Just don’t eat it often or it will literally take your heart down six feet under. If you’re pregnant and you crave beef, eat it whatever the way you want because you deserve it and much more. For the rest of us, keep it simple when it comes to steaks.

Mustard-Mayo sauce was great. Your changes to the proportions seemed right on. The sauce recipe makes leftovers, so I’ll probably give it a try with other stuff. I can imagine it working well with turkey or chicken in a sandwich.

Overall, the flavors melded nicely, with plenty of strong flavors to play with the assertive flavor of good beef. Having had strip steaks last weekend, and thoroughly hating them, this was a nice recipe. After last weekend, I was prepared to just about give up red meat altogether.

Good bread is pretty important to the sandwich, as well. I used Beckmann’s Deli Francese rolls, for people in Northern California. Not too doughy or chewy, and a good crust.