Who makes the perfect sandwich ... better yet who makes Canada’s best sandwich ... I know ... its a Burlington mother ... Thuy Nguyen Crawford won with her Lemongrass Steak Banh Mi. 

Last week she took the national title of a contest presented by ACE Bakery and celebrity chef Lynn Crawford.

She won $5,000 for herself and another $5,000 to her favourite charity, the Alzheimer Society of Hamilton/Halton.

The inspirations for her recipe was her Vietnamese roots, and her need for a nutritious, portable meal for family dinners at the baseball diamond or the soccer field.

Want her recipe ... I got it!!!

Lemongrass Steak Banh Mi with Spicy Garlic Aioli and Asian Coleslaw

• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) minced lemongrass
• 4 Tbsp. (60 mL) fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) honey
• 1 red Thai chili, finely minced
• 16 oz. sirloin steak cut 2 inches (5 cm) thick. Choose a high quality steak with lots of marbling.
• 1 ACE White Baguette
• 1 recipe Spicy Garlic Aioli

     (Makes 4 sandwiches)

 1 recipe Asian Coleslaw (Prepare at least 4 hours before sandwich assembly)

• In a container large enough to hold the steak, mix the garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, honey and chili. Roll the steak in the marinade and marinate for at least 3 to 4 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator.
• Preheat BBQ or grill pan so that it is hot.
• Grill the steak to your desired doneness, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes.
• Cut the baguette into 4 equal portions. Slice the baguette pieces lengthwise, but not all the way through, and grill for about 1 minute until toasted.
• Slice the steak 1/8 to ¼ inch (0.3 to 0.6 cm) thick, against the grain.
• Spread the Spicy Garlic Aioli on both top and bottom sides of the baguette portions. Layer the sliced steak on and then top with the Asian Coleslaw.

 Spicy Garlic Aioli

• ½ cup (120 mL) mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) Sriracha (increase or decrease based on your desire of spiciness)
• 1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp. (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
• Mix all the ingredients together well.

Asian Coleslaw

The coleslaw should be made at least 4 hours (or overnight) before you are ready to assemble the sandwich. You can make extra to serve as a side salad or keep it overnight in the refrigerator.

• 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) fish sauce
• 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) sugar
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• ½ cup (120) fresh cilantro, chopped in 1-inch (2.5-cm) lengths
• 1 Thai chili thinly sliced (increase or decrease based on your desire of spiciness)
• 3 cups (720 mL) shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup (240 mL) peeled shredded carrots
• 1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced to make ½ cup (120 mL)
• Mix the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and garlic together until the sugar is dissolved.
• Combine the remaining ingredients together and mix well.
• Pour the vinaigrette over the coleslaw mixture and toss.