El Eme's Mythical "Triángulo" Sandwich With Secret Sauce Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Anchovy

by: Caitlin Gunther

October4,2022

4.3

6 Ratings

  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Makes 1 sandwich

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Full disclosure: I’m not usually a ham sandwich person. I love sandwiches—I even moved to Mallorca to open my own sandwich shop. But aside from an occasional jamón serrano, you’d never find me jonesin’ for a ham sandwich—until I tried a triangulo sandwich from Bar El Eme in Bilbao. My sandwich world was forever changed. With just five ingredients: ham, lettuce, mayonnaise, spicy sauce and white bread, you have to wonder: How could something so simple be so good? Is it the artisanal bread, baked fresh daily? Is it the supreme quality of the ham? Or maybe it’s the aura surrounding the spicy sauce, with a secret recipe that’s been passed down through four generations. Recently, I took a trip to my favorite Basque city for another taste of that mythical sandwich, and to see if I could figure out the secret sauce inside. —Caitlin Gunther

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: In Spain, a Mythical Ham Sandwich That's Been Passed Down Four Generations. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • For the sandwich
  • 1 schmear secret sauce, recipe follows
  • 2 slices white sandwich bread
  • 1 piecethin-sliced ham
  • 1 piecelettuce
  • 1 schmear mayonnaise
  • For the secret sauce
  • 1 alegria riojana or other spicy roasted red pepper
  • 1 (non-spicy) roasted red pepper
  • 1/2 Italian green pepper, seeds removed
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 2 oil-packed anchovies
  • 1/2 cupextra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoonflaky sea salt
Directions
  1. For the sandwich
  2. Spread spicy sauce on the bottom piece of sandwich bread. Layer ham and lettuce on top. Spread a healthy coat of mayonnaise on top piece of sandwich bread. Close sandwich, cut diagonally and enjoy.
  1. For the secret sauce
  2. Add everything but the last two ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend on high until smooth.
  3. Stream in olive oil and blend on medium-low until sauce is completely mixed.
  4. Add about half of the salt, blend and taste. The anchovies add a good hit of saltiness already, so taste and adjust salt to your liking.

Tags:

  • Sandwich
  • Spanish
  • Anchovy
  • Ham
  • Lettuce
  • Mayonnaise
  • Lunch

Recipe by: Caitlin Gunther

Caitlin is a Paris-based writer. She wrote about food and wine while living in Madrid after college, and had a brief career as a lawyer before moving back to Spain to work in restaurants and attend culinary courses at the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastian. She has worked or staged at Mina, Nerua and Septime. Caitlin is currently working on her first memoir about working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Bilbao. Follow her on Insta at @caitlinrauxgunther

Popular on Food52

15 Reviews

Jon November 27, 2023

Lovely and simple combo. Thanks for sharing. I made it just now.

Ordered a small tin of Algerias online. Used jarred roasted red peppers, 1/2 of a seeded Anaheim pepper, good Spanish olive oil and 1/4 tsp of Maldon to ‘win friends and influence people”.

Needed a bit more kick for my taste so I added 1/4 tsp of Cayenne to the secret sauce recipe to make it extra secret.

Finishing the Sammy it was: Iceberg lettuce, tavern ham (2 thin slices), a good slather of Duke’s Mayo and lightly toasted white bread. Don’t be shy with the secret sauce either. Start with a tablespoon and adjust from there.

Final verdict: I laughed. I cried. It was better than Tiger King.

(Pro tip: It’s a lot of secret sauce unless you are going on a sandwich bender. Freeze what you don’t use in ice cube trays so you can bust out a single serving any time you need to win a ham sandwich makin’ contest.)

[emailprotected] November 4, 2019

I could not find in my local normal grocery store in Seattle, WA, but Anaheim pepper is a substitute according to internet!

green pepperAnaheim pepper.

Irene August 23, 2018

What is an Italian green pepper and where would I find it? Is it hot? Sweet? This sounds delish!

Caitlin G. August 26, 2018

Not hot! Just a long, thin, green pepper like you'd find in the produce aisle.

Irene August 26, 2018

Thank you!

Barbara November 15, 2023

Which ham do you recommend?

Irene November 15, 2023

I use prosciutto.

Judy August 18, 2018

One of my favorite sandwiches: extra sour San Francisco sour dough bread. Thinly sliced Italian dry salami, mayonnaise and sliced kosher fill pickle

Caitlin G. August 26, 2018

Mmmmmmm :-)

Regine August 17, 2018

Caitlin, thanks so much. Looking forward to making this recipe. I too think I would prefer sandwich untoasted. But your picture shows a bread that is toasted so this is why I asked. I hope I can find the alegris riojana.

Caitlin G. August 17, 2018

Nope, the bread isn't toasted - that's why it has that pillowy, not crunchy texture. I'd recommend a thick-sliced white bread - something sturdy. Alegria riojana is a small, hot red pepper, usually comes in a can... If you can't find, maybe a hot cherry pepper, the kind that comes in a jar. And I bought the roasted red pepper in a jar. Hope that helps!

Suzannemartin November 15, 2023

Doesn’t this picture shows toasted bread or am I seeing things lol

Regine August 16, 2018

The bread must be toasted, right? I will have to google to see what the alegria riojana and Italian green pepper look like. For the roasted red pepper, did you do it yourself or buy the ones that are in the can? I look forward to trying this recipe. Thanks.

Eric S. August 21, 2018

I, too, have pepper questions. Since I don’t have experience with Spanish peppers, I will have to substitute. Can you give us some measurements?

Caitlin G. August 26, 2018

Hi Eric! I'd say use regular roasted pepper, the kind that comes in a can/jar, and then add some heat "to taste" - just to give it a subtle kick. So if you start with hot cherry peppers, add a half, blend, taste, and repeat as you like. If you want to avoid the hot peppers altogether, choose another spice - like cayenne pepper - start with a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon, and adjust to taste. hope this helps!

El Eme's Mythical "Triángulo" Sandwich With Secret Sauce Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is a Monte Cristo made of? ›

While the Monte Cristo sandwich tends to vary from restaurant to restaurant or from deli to deli, the general blueprint consists of two slices of white bread containing ham, turkey, or chicken, and slices of Swiss Cheese which are dipped in beaten egg and fried in butter.

What type of sandwich is a clubhouse sandwich? ›

A club sandwich, also called a clubhouse sandwich, is a sandwich consisting of bread (traditionally toasted), sliced cooked poultry, fried bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. It is often cut into quarters or halves and held together by co*cktail sticks.

What is a filled rolls sandwich? ›

Filled rolls are typically smaller and denser than focaccia and pita bread. They are often made with a soft, white bread and are commonly used for sandwiches with fillings like ham and cheese, tuna salad, or egg salad.

What does Monte Cristo mean in English? ›

Mon·​te Cris·​to ˌmän-tē-ˈkri-(ˌ)stō variants or less commonly Monte Cristo sandwich. plural Monte Cristos also Monte Cristo sandwiches. : a sandwich that contains ham, cheese, mustard, and often turkey and mayonnaise, that is dipped in egg and pan-fried, and that is often dusted with powdered sugar and served with jam.

What is the difference between a Monte Cristo sandwich and a croque monsieur? ›

A Monte Cristo sandwich is a variation of the croque monsieur, but with the addition of sliced turkey added the ham and Swiss cheese. Also, this sandwich is dipped in an egg batter, like French toast, and pan-fried instead of grilled, until golden brown.

What is the difference between a club sandwich and a regular sandwich? ›

Lay the bread flat on the plate, pile the meat, etc. on top of that and you have an open faced sandwich. Make a bread, meat, bread stack and you have a closed sandwich. Add a third slice of bread as in bread, filling, bread, filling, bread and you have a club sandwich.

What sandwich has at least three slices of bread? ›

The classic club is a triple-decker sandwich made up of three slices toasted white bread, deli-sliced turkey or chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise.

Which type of sandwich has only one slice of bread without a second slice on top of the filling? ›

An open sandwich, also known as an open-face/open-faced sandwich, bread baser, bread platter or tartine, consists of a slice of bread or toast with one or more food items on top.

What are Hero sandwiches? ›

a large sandwich, usually consisting of a small loaf of bread or long roll cut in half lengthwise and containing a variety of ingredients, as meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.

What is smorgas? ›

A smörgås or sandwich is a typical breakfast or lunch meal for a Swede. Often with one piece of bread or cracker, butter and toppings, the open-face sandwich is delicious.

What is the content of Monte Cristo? ›

“The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas is a classic adventure novel filled with revenge, intrigue, and redemption. Set in early 19th-century France, the story follows the life of Edmond Dantès, a young and promising sailor who is unjustly imprisoned and seeks vengeance against those who betrayed him.

What kind of cigar is a Monte Cristo? ›

Also of note is the Montecristo 'A', a relic of a soon-to-be bygone era of cigar production, clocking in at a whopping 9 ¼” x 47 ring gauge, making it the longest vitola produced by any Cuban brand, though the vitola is produced in smaller quantities with each passing year, and can often prove a challenge to acquire of ...

How are you supposed to eat a Monte Cristo sandwich? ›

A classic Monte Cristo sandwich should come with a side of jam or jelly in which you have the option to dip your sandwich for the best Monte Cristo Sandwich experience. You will love this sandwich if you enjoy French Toast.

Why are they called Monte Cristo? ›

It appeared in many American cookbooks under names like “French Sandwich” or “Toasted Ham Sandwich.” There is no one credited inventor of the Monte Cristo sandwich; however, it is widely thought that the sandwich is named after The Count of Monte Cristo, an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas.

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