Steak Sandwich with Chimichurri Mayo and Tomato-Onion Salad

Chef notes

When I was a kid in Los Angeles, there was a small burger chain called All-American Burger. I used to love their steak sandwich — a long, thin, tender whole piece of steak on a greasy hoagie roll, drenched in way-too-much mayonnaise, dressed with onions and lettuce. This is the amped-up version. (Remember: When it comes to nostalgia, it has to be 50% better to taste just as good.)

In the end, it all works thanks to a good hoagie roll; a lightly spicy, herbaceous chimichurri mayo; tomato and onions that marinate in salt; and, most important, thinly pounded sirloin steak that is incredibly tender and can be bitten through without completely destroying the sandwich in the process. It brings me great joy to know that my kids now get to eat the better version of my childhood favorite.

From "Grill Time!" © 2026 by Noah Galuten. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.