Mini Tenderloin Sandwiches (Sandwichitos de Lomo)

Sandwiches are a popular food item in South America, and in celebration of back-to-school season, I decided to turn my eye towards traditional Latin sandwiches. In Brazil, the sandwich of choice is called the Bauru, which is made of mozzarella cheese, melted over slices of roast beef, tomato, and pickled cucumber on a scooped-out bun. Uruguayoffers one of my favorite sandwiches, called the chivito, which is usually comprised of thin slices of churrasco beef, mayonnaise, olives, cheese, tomatoes, and sometimes topped with bacon, ham, or fried eggs. Both delicious, I want to highlight one of the sandwiches typically found on the street carts in my own Buenos Aires: choripanes, or lomitos. Both sandwiches are a treasure, sold in the carritos (small carts found on the street). The owners are true characters who are always ready to tell you stories about who their clients are and how many times they’ve sold lomitos to the rich and famous. They are also great at recommending places and orienting tourists. I can’t describe the feeling of desperation each time I go back to visit my family. I just NEED to have a choripan or lomito the very first day!

The choripanes are made of a grilled chorizo (sausage) and a crusty bread (such as baguette), while the lomitos are made of lomo (tenderloin) steak. Both are piled high with tomato, lettuce, onion, mayonnaise, bacon or ham, melted cheese and a fried egg. Though I’m sure you are going to find many ways to prepare your own lomitos, I’m bringing you a healthier version of these sandwiches, by giving you the recipe to my own whole wheat bread, in order to put the focus on fresh ingredients.

Though the tenderloin cut used to make lomitos  is on the expensive side, it is truly ideal for special occasions and celebrations. With your leftovers, you can make tenderloin sandwiches the next day!  If you’re having an event, these two-bite mouthfuls are a great appetizer or passed treat that is guaranteed to draw raves.

Both an outdoor grill and a cast iron griddle are good for cooking the meat for these fun treats. You will get a delicious smoky flavor if you use hardwood or charcoal to fire up the grill. If you’re feeling hungry, you can make this recipe into a full-size sandwich portion. If you’re counting calories, the smaller canapé-size snacks will keep you smiling, without feeling guilty.

Ingredients

1 pound beef tenderloin (1/4 inches thick)

Coarse salt

4 ounces of sliced Swiss cheese

2 tomatoes finely sliced

2 white onions finely sliced

7 ounces of sliced ​​mushroom

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 ¾ ounces olive oil

Dijon mustard mayonnaise (to taste)

Serves 8 to 10 mini sandwiches

Procedure

The process I used to make the fire is the one my dad use in Argentina and is the traditional.

1. Prepare the fire in the grill with charcoal.
2. Thoroughly clean the grill
3.  Wait until the fire is ready (no more black color on the briquets)
4. Spread and distribute the charcoal to cook the skirt evenly.
5. Remove the meat from the refrigerator ahead of time, approximately 15 minutes before placing on the grill.
6. Remove some of the external fat from the skirt
7. Add salt to taste
8. Put the loin on the grill and cook for 12 minutes, 6 minutes each side. When the meat turns brownish, add a slice of cheese. Continue cooking until the cheese melts.
9. Concomitantly, sweat the chopped onions with 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil until caramelized (approximately 10 minutes). Season with salt and fresh pepper.
10. Sauté the mushroom slices with 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 crushed garlic clove (approximately 10 minutes).  Season with salt and fresh pepper
11. Spread mayonnaise or Dijon mustard over the bread
12. Add the cooked meat
13. Cover with sliced tomatoes, mushrooms and caramelized onions.

Mini whole wheat bread

12 ounces of whole wheat flour

5 ounces of all purpose flour

½ tablespoon of salt

2 tablespoons of yeast

3½ ounces of milk

1 tablespoon of sugar

8½ ounces of water

½ tablespoon of honey

1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil

Serves 20 to 25 mini breads

 

Procedure for the whole wheat bread

1. Place the whole wheat flour and the all purpose flour in a blender

2. In a bowl, add the yeast, the milk and the sugar

3. Incorporate the remaining ingredients to the flour

4. Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic

5. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes

6. Shape the dough into balls of approximately 2½ ounces each

7.  Grease the pan with oil, place the balls on the pan and let them rise

8. Brush the tops with beaten egg

9. Bake at 400°F until slightly brown