When I take the time to make sandwiches, I want to make gourmet, out-of-the-ordinary sandwiches. Since I purchased a waffle maker not too long ago, I decided to make a waffle sandwich, inspired by my visit to the famous Bruxie in Los Angeles. This slow-roasted balsamic beef waffle sandwich ended up being the best, most delicious sandwich I have made so far. It is a must-try!

Recipe

Print Recipe

Slow Roasted Balsamic Beef Waffle Sandwich

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef, sandwich

Servings: 6

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Sandwich

• 3 lb beef chuck roast
• salt and pepper
• 1 red onion peeled and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves smashed
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ cups beef stock
• 1 bay leaf

Pickled onions

• 1 red onions finely sliced
• ½ cup boiling water
• ½ cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Horseradish cream

• 2 tablespoon creamed horseradish
• ¼ cup mayo

Waffles

• 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 eggs yolks and whites separated
• ½ cup butter melted
• 1 ¾ cup milk

Remaining ingredients

• 2 cups arugula

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Season the chuck roast with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and add sliced red onions, 4 smashed garlic cloves, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 ½ cups beef stock, and 1 bay leaf. Cover and braise in the oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours or until the beef shreds easily. Shred the beef and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, pickle the red onions. Combine water with vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add the red onions and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare the horseradish cream by combining creamed horseradish with mayo. Set aside.
• Prepare the waffles. Combine 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour with 4 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon sugar, 2 egg yolks, ½ cup melted butter, and 1 ¾ cup milk. Whisk the mixture until combined.
• Beat the egg whites until moderately stiff. Fold in the whites to the waffle batter just until incorporated. Heat your waffle maker and cook the waffles until golden brown. Toast the waffles if desired for an extra crispy waffle.
• Assemble the sandwiches. Top half of the waffle with a generous portion of the braised beef. Spread a dollop of the horseradish cream on top, followed by the red onions and arugula. Top with the other half of the waffle. Serve immediately.

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Braising beef or any protein for that matter takes a long time to complete, but it's actually very easy to do. The basic idea is to put everything in a pot or baking dish and let it cook in low heat over a long period of time. This allows the fat and muscles to break down, making the beef incredibly tender. My beef was tender after cooking for a total of 3 hours; I was able to shred it by just gently wiggling a fork!

Now for the waffles, I have tried different batters before but I found this one to be the best so far. The batter has a minimum amount of sugar and doesn't call for any vanilla, making it appropriate for a savory sandwich. The addition of a whipped egg white also yields a light airy waffle. My waffle maker makes round waffles but you can also use a square waffle maker.

If you want your waffles to be extra crispy, pop them in a toaster for a minute or two.

Now I tried the beef by itself and the waffle by itself, but once all the components were put together...holy moly is this balsamic beef waffle sandwich finger-lickin' good! The pickled onions added the needed crunch and tartness while the creamed horseradish add a little spice to the sandwich. The beef, oh the beef, tasted even better than it smelled and was o so tender. I am a sandwich fanatic, but I have to say, this is probably the best I've ever made.

For more sandwich inspiration check out this lemongrass steak banh mi with fried egg!