Beer, steak, and bread – the three basic food groups – all come together in this meal to make the most tender, delicious, and flavorful open-faced steak sandwiches.

You could say I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with the New Belgium crowd ever since Joe let Geraldo steal my bike last winter. I threatened then that I would be switching to O’Dell’s, but the heart is fickle and my heart loves New Belgium. In a classic “will write and cook for beer” moment, when I was given the opportunity by Foodbuzz and New Belgium to buy some fabulous New Belgium beer and create a recipe with it, I decided to let bygones be bygones and grabbed a few 1554s to nurse my wounded, bikeless spirit.

According to the folks over at New Belgium, 1554 is a “highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and mouthfeel”. I’ve had the idea for this sandwich in my head for a while, and I knew that 1554 would be a great pair for the steak. To make this guy at home, simply start off by marinating the steak 5-6 hours before you’ll be eating. Crack open a bottle 1554.

Chop up some garlic, about 5 cloves.

Place a large ziploc baggie inside a mixing bowl (the bowl is just for a bit of stability while you add it all together). Toss the garlic in.

Grab some herbs (fresh if you have them) and toss them in, whole. I used rosemary, thyme, and oregano, about 2 full sprigs of each.

You’ll want a big sirloin steak here. We used just one big guy (about a pound) and had about four servings with it.

Generously season with salt and pepper. Rub into the steak.

Add the steak and beer to the ziploc.

Seal, and use your hands to mix up the contents of the bag. Make sure there is marinade completely covering the steak. Place in fridge and let rest, 5-6 hours, shaking to mix/recover the steak every now and then.

Go for a walk, watch a Rockies game on TV, play with your dog (she’s obviously dying for a little attention), get some work done, and then, 5-6 hours later – when you’re ready for dinner – heat up your grill.

Slice 3 mini-baguettes in half, lengthwise, then brush with grapeseed oil. Set aside.

Remove the steak from the marinade. See how amazing the meat looks? You can tell that it has absorbed the beer just by looking at it! This is gonna be good.

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