Dusted Chicago Steak Grinder
You might not think a Chicago steak grinder would hold much sentimental value, but this particular steak sandwich is incredibly nostalgic for me, bringing back all the best childhood memories.
I take after my mom, a social butterfly straight out of the womb (or should I say cocoon). My dad, on the other hand, has always just gone with the flow. He’s really funny, and great in social settings (even if he prefers finding the most talkative person in the room so he can just sit and listen), but he’s never really gone out of his way to have a packed schedule or a huge group of friends.
He did play poker with the other men in the neighborhood, but my sister and I were never part of that…our only participation was sneaking downstairs to steal the snacks when my dad was the host.
One day, one of his poker buddies opened up a beer shop and started brewing his own beer. My dad LOVED IT. He picked up the hobby right away, and it expanded not only his social circle but was an activity the entire family could enjoy.
My dad has always been a math and science guru and as my sister and I got older, he enjoyed drinking a beer or two. So it was only natural that something tying both of these things together would be his new favorite pastime activity.
So where in the WORLD does this Chicago steak grinder come in? Welp, they were a staple on brewing days. Brew days would be an all-day activity. Family, friends, and neighbors could come and go as we hung out in the garage and on the driveway watching my dad work his magic. Before brew days started we would always make sure we had ample snacks in the house, and I was in charge of placing the order to get hot sandwiches for lunch. Bellacino's was our favorite place to go, and after a couple of visits and trying many different sandwiches there was one sandwich that just couldn't be beat! The Chicago Steak Grinder.
The caramelized onions and mushrooms melted in your mouth, the buttery shaved ribeye and the delicate flavor of the melted mozzarella was the perfect compliment to the toasted grinder. The bread was always crisp with a nice bite but soft on the inside so you weren’t cutting open the roof of your mouth. The best part? Their homemade garlic sauce. Oh my goodness…that pop of flavor is something I will never forget. No lettuce, no tomatoes, no fuss. Just a hot steak sandwich with simple delicious ingredients.
I’ve attempted making garlic aioli's from scratch, starting with the egg yolks and building from there. Don’t get me wrong it’s not that hard, and it does taste good, but I’ve realized there is no need to make a mess when you can whip up a simple aioli using store-bought mayo and get the same, if not better, results.
I’m a sauce girly so I make PLENTY to lather these sandwiches but obviously you can lather to your liking. If our film crew kept rolling after the initial taste there would’ve been footage of me spooning the sauce out of the mixing bowl and onto my sandwich because yes…its really that good.
The steak itself cooked incredibly quick so be ready to season, chop, flip, and stack so you can keep it juicy.
For this recipe, I bought ribeye already shaved. I do happen to own a meat slicer, but even with the right tools it’s hard to get the meat paper thin like a butcher can. If you ARE going to try slicing your own meat at home I suggest freezing the ribeye first so its easier to get through the slicer while keeping the slices consistently thin.
These grinders are perfect for a crowd, you can use the same flattop to cook it all, and it’s very easy to double or triple this recipe and have 4-5 sandwiches being made at once.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! And if you don’t have the time to make one yourself…there’s always Bellacino's.
Dusted Chicago Steak Grinder Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 Hoagie Rolls
- 12oz shaved ribeye
- Dusted Seasoning
- 8oz pack of baby portabella mushrooms
- ½ large yellow onion
- 4oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup mayo
- Juice from ½ fresh lemon
- 1 large garlic clove
Recipe Instructions
- To make this easy garlic aioli sauce, mix mayo, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl using an emersion blender and set aside
- Slice the hoagie rolls in half, put on the grill while its heating to get a night light toast on the rolls, then set aside
- Turn the flattop grill to medium-high and let heat up for at least 10 minutes
- Slice mushrooms and onions very thin and throw on a flattop grill together to caramelize for 10 minutes, flipping every few minutes, then remove from grill and set aside
- Throw shaved ribeye on a flattop grill and season generously with Dusted Seasoning
- Chop up the meat the best you can while flipping it and cooking all the way through. The cooks fast so move quickly
- Once the meat is browned, separate it into two even piles on the grill, and make those piles into a long shape that mirrors the size of your hoagie roll
- Pile the mushroom and onion mixture on top of the meat that is still on the grill
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top of both meat piles and close the grill lid to let the cheese melt for 2 minutes
- While the cheese is melting spread the garlic aioli all over the toasted hoagie rolls
- Open the grill and put the open hoagie roll directly on top of each pile then use a flipper to get underneath the entire thing to flip it up to make the perfect Chicago steak grinder
Recipe Video
Grilling up a Dusted Chicago Steak Grinder on a Blackstone Flattop
