pastrami, beer onions and cheese sandwich

It's no secret I like to cook 'man food'. Food with big, bold, ballsy flavors. I hate apologetic cooking. You know, timid food. Generally it comes from someone too scared of using any real flavor in their cooking. Screw that. That isn't me. I cook like my personality, big, bold and ballsy. And I don't apologize for it. Because this sandwich was made with men in mind, I'm not going to write a whole lot of fluff either. It was frigging delicious, enough said.

photography Lawrence Imrie and Lovoni Walker

pastrami, beer onions and cheese sandwich

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 onions, sliced

salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup beer

1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (chili flakes)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 loaf ciabatta bread, halved lengthways and quartered

12 oz (375g) sliced pastrami

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 cup baby arugula leaves (rocket)

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until softened slightly; add beer and red pepper. Cook, covered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft. Remove cover. Add sugar. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until browned.

Combine mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar and honey in a small bowl.

Toast bread. Spread mayonnaise mixture on cut sides of bread. Top bottom halves of bread with onions, pastrami and cheese. Place on baking sheet. Broil 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with arugula and tops of bread. Makes 4.