Open Face Steak Sandwiches with Chimi Labneh

Substitutions & Swaps

🥩 Flank Steak

• Skirt Steak - Skirt has a slightly looser grain and even more beefy flavor than flank. It cooks fast over high heat and slices beautifully thin against the grain, making it a near-perfect swap here.
• NY Strip Steak - Strip gives you a firmer, more buttery bite with great marbling. Sear it whole and slice it thin for a more steakhouse-style sandwich situation.
• Ribeye - The fat content in a ribeye bastes the meat from the inside as it cooks, giving you incredibly juicy slices. Go with a boneless ribeye and treat it the same way you would the flank.
• Hanger Steak - Hanger is the butcher's secret weapon. It has an intensely mineral, beefy flavor and a tender texture when cooked to medium-rare. Slice it thin and it shines on an open face sandwich.

🫙 Labneh

• Full-Fat Greek Yogurt - Greek yogurt is the most accessible swap and still delivers that tangy, creamy base. Strain it through a cheesecloth for an hour first and it gets even closer to the thick consistency of labneh.
• Whipped Ricotta - Whipped ricotta is milder and creamier with less tang, but it carries the herbs and garlic beautifully. Blitz it in a food processor with a splash of olive oil for the right spreadable texture.
• Cream Cheese (softened) - Softened cream cheese gives you the richness and thickness of labneh without the tang. Loosen it with a little lemon juice and olive oil to bring some brightness back into the dressing.
• Sour Cream - Sour cream has a similar acidic tang to labneh and works well as a base for the chimi dressing. Use full-fat for the best texture and flavor so it does not get too thin when mixed.

🧀 Feta

• Cotija - Cotija is salty, crumbly, and aged in a way that reads similarly to feta. It blends right into the labneh mixture and adds a slightly more mellow, less briny funk that still stands up to the steak.
• Ricotta Salata - Ricotta salata is pressed and salted with a firm, dry crumble that integrates into the chimi labneh cleanly. It is less tangy than feta but still adds that essential salty, milky depth.
• Goat Cheese - Goat cheese brings a creamy, earthy tang that works beautifully with the parsley and oregano. It blends more smoothly into the labneh base, giving the whole dressing a silkier finish.
• Pecorino Romano (finely grated) - Pecorino adds a sharp, sheepy saltiness that punches up the umami of the dressing. Use it finely grated so it dissolves into the labneh rather than leaving big crumbles.

🍞 Focaccia

• Ciabatta - Ciabatta has a similar open, airy crumb and a crispy crust that toasts up perfectly. It holds up under the juicy steak and dressing without getting soggy, which is exactly what you need for an open face sandwich.
• Crusty French Bread (baguette sliced on the bias) - A baguette sliced on the bias gives you a wide enough surface for a proper open face situation. The tight crumb holds the labneh dressing without absorbing too much, and the crust adds great texture contrast.
• Sourdough - Sourdough brings a tangy flavor that actually complements the chimi labneh beautifully. Toast thick slices until golden and the slight acidity echoes the pickled onions in the best way.

🌿 Watercress

• Arugula - Arugula is the closest match in terms of peppery bitterness and tender texture. It wilts slightly under the warm steak in a way that actually makes it even more delicious, and it is easy to find year round.
• Baby Spinach - Baby spinach is milder and less bitter but adds a soft green layer that keeps everything fresh. It is a great option if you are serving this to people who are sensitive to bitter greens.
• Endive (thinly sliced) - Endive has a crisp texture and a clean, slightly bitter flavor that holds up beautifully under the labneh dressing. Slice it thin lengthwise so it lays flat across the sandwich.

🥩🫙🌿 Tips & Tricks for the Best Open Face Steak Sandwiches with Chimi Labneh

Juicy flank steak piled onto toasted focaccia with the most herby, tangy chimi labneh you will ever taste.

• Pull the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Bringing the meat to room temperature allows it to cook more evenly from edge to center. A cold steak hitting a hot pan will overcook on the outside before the interior reaches the right temperature.
• Pat the steak completely dry before seasoning. Surface moisture creates steam in the pan, which prevents the Maillard reaction from happening. A dry surface makes direct contact with the hot pan and gives you that deeply browned, flavorful crust.
• Use a cast iron skillet if you are not grilling. Cast iron retains and distributes heat more evenly than most pans, which is critical for getting a consistent sear on a large cut like flank steak. It also holds its temperature when the cold meat hits the surface.
• Season the steak generously, more than you think you need. Flank steak is a thick, wide cut and needs a bold hand with salt and pepper on both sides. Under-seasoned steak will taste flat no matter how good the rest of the sandwich is.
• Rest the steak for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Resting allows the muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb the juices that were pushed toward the center during cooking. Cut too early and those juices run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
• Slice the steak thinly and always against the grain. Flank steak has long, visible muscle fibers running in one direction. Cutting perpendicular to those fibers shortens them, making each bite tender. Cutting with the grain leaves long fibers intact and results in chewy, stringy meat.
• Make the chimi labneh at least 20 minutes before serving. Letting the garlic, herbs, and olive oil sit in the labneh before serving allows the flavors to meld and the raw garlic to mellow slightly. Freshly mixed, it can taste sharp and disjointed.
• Grate the garlic on a microplane instead of mincing it. A microplane produces a fine paste that distributes evenly throughout the labneh without leaving chunky raw garlic pieces. It also breaks down the cell structure more completely, which releases more flavor.
• Toast the focaccia until it is actually golden and crisp on the cut side. A lightly warmed piece of focaccia will go soggy under the steak juices and labneh drizzle almost immediately. A properly toasted, crisp surface holds up to the toppings and gives you structural contrast in every bite.
• Do not skip the pickled red onions. The acidity from the pickled onions cuts through the richness of the labneh, feta, and olive oil. Without them the sandwich reads as heavy and one-dimensional, no matter how good the steak is.
• Finish the assembled sandwiches with Maldon sea salt right before serving. Maldon flakes add a final hit of salinity and a light crunch on top that kosher salt cannot replicate at this stage. Adding it right before serving ensures the flakes do not dissolve and lose their texture.
• Use store-bought labneh rather than making your own for this recipe. Store-bought labneh has a consistent thick, creamy texture that blends well with the other chimi ingredients. Homemade labneh can vary in moisture content and may make the dressing too loose or too stiff.

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today