The Mitraillette (The Ultimate Belgian Sandwich)

The Mitraillette is a typical Belgian sandwich, loaded with a spicy beef patty, crispy lettuce, belgian fries, and a homemade Andalouse sauce. Indulge yourself, you won’t regret it. 

Tell me more about The Mitraillette sandwich

Literally meaning ‘submachine gun’, The Mitraillette is a traditional Belgian sandwich originating in Brussels but consumed by the whole country. 

There are four key elements to this sandwich:

1. A baguette-style roll
2. Spice-infused beef patty
3. Belgian fries
4. Andalouse or Béarnaise sauce

On top of these salient ingredients, you can add other condiments or toppings. For this recipe, I am adding in the healthy lettuce. You could also add sliced tomato or cheese. In terms of sauces, ketchup and mayonnaise are two popular additions. 

The Beef Patty

Traditionally, these beef patties are seasoned with a little bit of a kick. If you’re not so keen on spice, feel free to leave out the chilli. However, if you like things hot, then I’d highly recommend adding chilli flakes and a pinch of paprika to the beef mince. 

Combine ½ teaspoon chilli flakes, ½ teaspoon paprika, pinch of salt, and a sprinkling of pepper to the beef mince. Infuse the spices into the mince by using your hands. You want to form the patty into a thin and long-ish rectangular shape to fit your baguette roll. 

Belgian Fries

What’s the difference between Belgian fries and French fries? You may think they’re the same, but they have a key differentiator that sets them apart. French fries are deep fried in vegetable oil. Belgian fries on the other hand are deep fried in pure beef fat (tallow). The flavour is much more rich compared to French fries, and obviously, they can’t be eaten by vegetarians or vegans. 

 For this recipe, I’d recommend using some off-cuts of beef fat and fry it in some vegetable oil to create a beef fat infused oil. If you don’t have any tallow then you can make homemade chips using an oil of your choice and placing them in the oven. 

The Mitraillette Sauce

The two most common sauces to have with The Mitraillette are béarnaise and andalouse. For this recipe, we will be making a homemade andalouse sauce. It’s made up of mayonnaise, ketchup (or tomato purée), and roasted red pepper. It’s sweet, tangy, and the perfect addition for this sandwich. 

Assembling The Mitraillette

Here comes the good part, the assembly. Get your baguette and slice it in half but not all the way. You want the baguette to act like a mouth, holding the ingredients in it without them coming out the other side. Dollop as much andalouse sauce onto the baguette as you’d like, then place on the chopped lettuce, beef patty, fries, and then more sauce! 

Apparently, Belgians don’t expect you to attempt to eat the sandwich as a whole. You can begin eating the chips first and then dig into the sandwich itself. At the end of the day though, you can eat it how you like! Enjoy!

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