Bresaola Tonnato & Escarole Sandwich
Add this Bresaola tonnato & escarole sandwich to your go-to list of hearty open-faced sandwiches. Joining the ranks of the Tuna Melt, the Tartine and Smorrebrod (Denmark’s not-to-be-missed entry to the category), this beauty is so distinctively satisfying, you’ll forget you’re using a knife and fork. Pairing bresaola, (savory, salted, cured beef) with tonnato sauce is a modern-day twist on the Italian classic “vitello tonnato,” in which a tuna sauce is served over room temperature roasted veal. We top it with a spicy escarole salad dressed with lemon and hot chiles. This sandwich is so exceptional, it just might tide us over until the tomatoes come back again in summer.
Directions
For the salad
In a medium bowl, add escarole, fennel, pepperoncinis, parsley leaves, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, pepper flakes and salt. Toss to combine.
For assembling the sandwich
Spread 2 tablespoons of tonnato sauce on each slice of toasted sourdough. Top each with half the Bresaola and divide the salad on top of each. Serve open faced with a fork and knife.
Cook’s Notes
The tonnato sauce can be made the day before, kept covered in the fridge, and will actually become more flavorful. Extra sauce can be served with vegetables as a dip.
If you’re not a fan of mayo, you can use 1/3 cup mayo plus 3 tablespoons olive oil instead — or even just olive oil. The result will be a sauce that’s thinner and not as spreadable, but it will be delicious and closer to the original tonnato sauce served with veal in Italy. We like the sandwichy quality the mayo imparts — and we’re big fans of this sandwich.
