Travelling beef sandwich

Here's a treat for a travelling picnic - I posted it last year, now I've improved it ... Alfred and I wolfed it down on the way up to Durham, where he's doing a hockey course and I'm doing some family history research. We stopped on the way at Conisbrough Castle, a Norman ruin.


















This sandwich is very simple, and one of it's best virtues is that you make it the night before you travel, so that in the morning all you have to do is grab it out of the fridge. And it's quick to make. There's no need for butter or any other fat, and you can size it according to the number of people: I used a small ciabatta and a slightly smaller sized steak. A flattish bread works best, together with an ordinary steak. This version was much better and much more manageable than my first effort last year (although that was VERY popular, despite it's rather peculiar appearance).

What do you make for a healthy picnic? Heart of the Matter is looking for picnic ideas .... details on taking part are at the bottom of the post.

One sirloin or rump steak
One ciabatta loaf
some field mushrooms, stalks removed

Cook the steak according to your usual method. Cook the mushrooms whole. Slice through the ciabatta so that it opens out like a book. Put the cooked steak on one half, and pour on the juices. Arrange the cooked mushrooms on top, then fold down the top. Wrap tightly in foil, then put in the fridge with a weight on top. This needs to be made a few hours in advance so that there's time for the sandwich to be pressed.

To serve, cut into finger slices.


































As you see, Alfred enjoyed himself - we were lucky that the sun was shining; I've got soaked twice today in Durham, once outside the Durham Light Infantry Museum (REALLY worth a visit, even if you aren't related to anyone who served in the DLI, as my grandfather did in WW1), and once on the way to the Durham Heritage Centre.






We'd love to hear your heart-healthy picnic ideas ... the Heart of the Matter website is a great place for ideas for heart-healthy recipes (something I wish had existed when we were changing our diet on doctor's orders after my husband's heart attack), and it only exists because so many bloggers have taken the time to share their recipes.

The usual rules: If you’ve participated before, you already know the basics. If you haven’t, check here, here and here for ideas on what “heart-healthy” means, and we hope that you’ll join us! Again, we ask that this please be a single event entry (please don’t use your post for other events – that way we can keep things centred on healthy heart awareness). Just send your entry to joannacary AT ukonline DOT co DOT uk (could you use the title HotM, so they don't get lost) by midnight Monday 25th August (a Bank Holiday in the UK) , linking to my site, Joanna's Food (and to the HotM blog if you’d like) and I’ll post the round-up on the Thursday or Friday on both sites.

Related links

A fabulous spot for a picnic in the south of England
A place in our garden for a picnic