Venison Steak and Cheese Sandwich with Caramelised Onion

This venison steak and cheese sandwich pairs juicy wild venison with melted cheese and caramelised onion for a rich, satisfying bite.

Venison steak and cheese sandwich overview

This is a simple and quick midweek lunch I love to make, particularly with leftover steak which helps speeds things up but keeps the delicious sweet and earthy flavour of the wild sourced Highland venison.

It uses only a few core ingredients, you can make the caramelised onions the night before too and it's just a matter of heating things up and putting it together - really this could be done in 15 minutes overall.

Why venison steak works in sandwiches

I love to use venison instead of beef where I can. You get that incredible mouth watering meaty-ness in every bite, the slightly sweat and earthy profile of venison, and all the health and ethical benefits of wild venison are a nice bonus, too.

It's much leaner and doesn't feel greasy or fattening in the sandwich, and also lets the other ingredients shine too. The caramelised onions add a nice sweetness that pairs well with venison, while the dijon mustard (make sure you use good quality french dijon, not any old mustard) cuts through and brings some punch and contrast. 

Ingredients for venison steak sandwich

As with most of my recipes, simple is effective. I'll break down the ingredients into the 3 parts of the sandwich:

• Caramelised onions: Red onions, oil, and balsamic vinegar.
• For the sauce: Good quality dijon mustard, mayonnaise.
• Toppings: Gouda slices, rocket salad.
• Nice fresh ciabatta rolls from your local bakery
• and of course, Noble & Wild centre-cut striploins if you want the best tasting results.

Cooking venison steak for sandwiches

I've shared my technique on how to cook venison steak before, so I'll leave the link here. In short, the key thing is to rest the cut both before and after cooking it. Before because you want the steak to reach room temperature so that it'll cook more evenly, and after to rest it so that it soaks us the juices and slowly finishes cooking so you get the best taste and texture.

For the actual cooking, you want to press it firmly down onto a hot pan (medium heat on a gas stove) for about a minute until the edges start to lift, then turn it on each side so all the sides have contact with the heat. You should cook it for around 6-8 minutes, the key is in the texture - you'll know it's done when you press it with your finger and it bounces back. For venison steak, you always want to keep it rare so it doesn't dry out and lose it's delicate flavour.

After you've rested it, cut thin slices and those are perfect for use in several recipes, including this steak sandwich recipe. You can even use leftover slices, it will taste just as good!

If you want to mix things up, have a look at our other venison steak ideas too, from tacos to fresh salads or even served alongside crispy chips. 

Making caramelised onions

People tend to think caramelising onion is difficult but all it takes is a little bit of patience and a low heat. You want to add oil to a pan with a bit of salt on a medium heat, and once it's hot turn the heat down and add the onions. You should give them constant attention and move them around for 30 minutes. For the last 3 minutes, add the balsamic vinegar and stir until the caramelised onions become slightly jammy. 

Assembling the steak and cheese sandwich

For assembly, you want to add the cooked onions to a pan and add the cheese on top on a low heat so that the cheese melts.

Scrape that off the pan onto some ciabatta that is covered in dijon and mayonnaise on both sides, and add a little rocket on top. Bam, a delicious and simple steak sandwich with caramelised onions.

Bread, cheese and sauce options

For the bread I use ciabatta because it brings a nice crunch while still having some doughiness to it. You can use other bread, of course, like a nice crunchy baguette or sourdough. I'd recommend to get some nice fresh bread from a bakery though, so that it stays the same high quality as the rest of the ingredients.

For cheese I've picked gouda because it's more subtle and won't over-power the meat which we want to be the star here. It is also relatively higher in fat so melts a lot better to get that gooey steak and cheese sandwhich which is what I was aiming for. You could also use something like Emmental or Edam, but I also think the sweetness of the Gouda makes it the best choice to compliment the venison.

Sauce wise, I kept it simple with dijon and mayonnaise. You can adapt as you like or use and even simpler vinaigrette. 

Serving suggestions

This recipe is perfect for 2. I like to just eat the sandwich on it's own, but a side salad and some crisps would be perfect for a light lunch.