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Jamie Oliver is one of the most well-known celebrity chefs in the world. Despite being a polarizing figure, the chef has some great recipes that come in handy even for anyone who isn’t savvy in the kitchen. Oliver’s steak sarnie recipe is a decadent “guilty pleasure.”

Jamie Oliver became famous by accident

Oliver grew up around food. By the time he hit five years old, by his own account, he already knew how to handle a knife. Oliver’s parents ran a pub, and he would help them around the kitchen, thus sparking a lifelong interest in food and the culinary world in general.

While he flourished in the kitchen, Oliver’s dyslexia prevented him from thriving in class, and he eventually quit school at 16. His first TV appearance happened by accident. Oliver and his then-girlfriend Juliette Norton met when they were teenagers, but given the chef’s hectic schedule, the couple hadn’t had much time alone.

Oliver, therefore, decided to take the day off, but that day a BBC crew was filming at the restaurant he worked. He was called into work last minute, and as per Mashed, he considered not going for a minute. However, Oliver’s work ethic pushed him into work, and that’s when he first made food for audiences.

The special aired in 1997, and according to his parents, everyone they knew saw their son on TV. Oliver was then offered a more permanent TV role. Two years later, he landed his very own cooking show and released a cookbook which instantly became a bestseller.

Chef Jamie Oliver visits BuzzFeed to discuss his new book 'Ultimate Veg'
Jamie Oliver discusses his book Ultimate Veg | Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

In 2002, Oliver opened his restaurant, Fifteen. Soon, the restaurant expanded into a chain of eateries. Over the years, Oliver has expanded his empire and, through his YouTube Channel, continues providing easy and delicious recipes to his fans.

Jamie Oliver’s Next Level Steak and Onion sandwich is a delight

Oliver’s steak sarnie sandwich requires 400 grams of flank skirt steak, or bavette, two large onions, 20 grams of unsalted butter, olive oil, 70 grams of dark brown sugar, 125 milliliters of red wine vinegar, one ciabatta loaf, and a handful of watercress. He also recommends using English mustard in this recipe, but it’s optional.

As for how to cook it, Oliver recommends taking the steak out of the fridge ahead of time to let it come to room temperature, after which you should bash it to tenderize it. Peel the onions and remove the first layer of flesh, then slice the onion into two centimeters rounds.

Do not discard the onion skins, as they are great for making soups, stews, or stock. Put your butter, a lug of oil, and the sugar into a pan on medium heat and cook your onions for five minutes. Caramelize the onions by adding vinegar and reducing.

Meanwhile, toast your ciabatta on a griddle and as that goes, season your steak with salt and pepper. Place your steak in a screaming hot pan and let it cook for three minutes on each side or to your liking. Remove and let it rest. 

Spread some mustard on your ciabatta, layer over the steak, caramelized onions, and watercress, place the other piece of bread on top, and cut up into decent chunks, and there you have it.

Why some people can’t stand Jamie Oliver

Oliver has had a few controversies in his day, including crying over the fact that the US refused to take his advice for healthy eating. His restaurant, Jamie’s Italian, also served wheat pasta to a customer with celiac disease, and to top it all off, the kitchen caught fire.

His feud with Gordon Ramsay hasn’t also in any way helped his status as one of the most hated celebrity chefs of all time. Still, Oliver’s bank account has remained healthy as, according to Celebrity Net Worth, he is worth $200 million.