Sometimes the most straightforward recipes are the most delicious, which was the case for this tri-tip sandwich.
With our conflicting schedules, George and I have yet to have as many opportunities to cook together, let alone try new recipes or experiment with food. Our mutual love for food was part of our foundation as a couple, so it took a toll on our relationship until we found other avenues for quality time. Still, it's nice sometimes to go back to our roots.
Not too long ago, we found a frozen meat store named Wild Fork and loved it. George spontaneously bought a tri-tip without knowing how to season or cook it. It sat in our freezer for months.
On another trip to Wild Fork, we found pre-seasoned chimichurri tri-tip. We bought it thinking that, for once, we could have an idea of what the food we're cooking is supposed to taste like. Cooked on a charcoal grill to medium rare, that steak was delicious.
Eager to eat steak again and spend time together, we quickly decided that a tri-tip sandwich was the best meal.
We chose to follow a Santa Maria marinade recipe because we didn't have to do any extra shopping since we had all the ingredients.
We marinated the steak overnight.
The next day, George seared the outside on a cast iron skillet to create a crust. He then put it in the oven for 20 minutes until 145 degrees for a medium cook, although it looked rare.
We bought bread two days before cooking this, but we accidentally left it on the counter where the sun hits, so the bread was moldy when we started prepping the sandwiches. While the steak was cooking, George rushed to ShopRite to buy more bread.
Even funnier is that when the steak was done and George returned with the bread, we put the steak on the cutting board to rest and the scolding hot cast iron pan on an oven mitt in an attempt not to burn the counter. George didn't even realize it was burned until a few minutes had passed when the pan should've cooled down, but it was still smoking like something was on fire. We couldn't stop laughing.
I sliced and prepped all the filling – romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. George buttered and toasted the bread in the oven.
Our sandwiches were similar but with a few crucial differences.
I'm lactose intolerant, so I used two slices of Kraft cheese since it's one of the few I can tolerate. I love mayonnaise, so I spread a generous amount on my toasted bread, then layered the cheese, tri-tip, and fillings.
George loves cheese, so he used two slices of his favorite, provolone. He spread a generous amount of spicy sriracha mayo on his toasted bread, then layered the cheese, tri-tip, and fillings.
We topped our sandwiches with splashes of red wine vinegar because we've seen people do similar things in YouTube videos and at Jersey Mike's. We placed the top bun and sliced our sandwiches in half, and they looked restaurant worthy.
We sat on the couch and ate our mouthwatering sandwiches while laughing while watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Peacock.
Our night was chaotic, and we made a huge mess, and we still need to purchase new oven mitts, and we'll think twice about buying nice bread, but it was so much fun to spend time and eat delicious food together.