Ingredients and steps on one page. Print it, or choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog.
Sekai Gohan
Bauru: São Paulo Roast Beef and Melted Cheese Roll
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Brazilian roll (pão francês) | 1 | The thin crust holds the hot cheese; the top half is hollowed out |
| Ready-to-eat roast beef (rosbife), thinly sliced | 2½ oz (70 g) | The salty, tender base of the filling |
| Tomato (tomate), washed and sliced into rounds | 3 rounds | Fresh acidity against the cheese |
| Small pickled cucumber (pepino em conserva), thinly sliced | 1 | Sharp, vinegary bite |
| Water | scant ½ cup (100 ml) | Lets the cheese melt smoothly in the pan |
| Prato cheese (queijo prato) | 2 slices, about 1½ oz (45 g) | Bottom and top of the cheese stack |
| Gouda cheese (queijo gouda) | 2 slices, about 1½ oz (45 g) | Part of the four-cheese melt |
| Estepe cheese (queijo estepe) | 2 slices, about 1½ oz (45 g) | Soft yellow Brazilian cheese in the melt |
| Swiss cheese (queijo suíço) | 2 slices, about 1½ oz (45 g) | Emmental-style cheese in the melt |
Steps
1Cut the roll and hollow the top half
Lay the roll on the board and cut it horizontally into an upper and a lower half with the bread knife. Set the knife aside. Hold the upper half and pull out the soft crumb with your fingers, dropping it into a small bowl. Stop when the top half is a hollowed shell of crust.
2Layer the filling on the lower half
Lay the sliced roast beef over the lower half of the roll, folding it so it sits evenly. Place the three tomato rounds on top of the meat. Scatter the thin pickle slices over the tomato. The filling is ready when it covers the bread from edge to edge and the hollowed top half sits beside it, empty and waiting.
3Stack the cheese in order
Build the cheese stack from the bottom up: one slice of prato, two of gouda, two of estepe, two of Swiss, and the last slice of prato on top. Keep the slices squared over each other so the stack can go into the pan in one move. You are done when all eight slices sit in one neat pile with prato at both ends.
Get everything ready before the pan goes onThe melted cheese has to go onto the filling the moment it is smooth. If the roll, filling and stack are all waiting next to the stove, nothing sets while you finish the prep.
4Melt the cheese in water over low heat
Pour the water into the nonstick frying pan and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and lay the cheese stack in the water. Stir slowly and gently with the spatula, folding the softening slices into each other. The cheese is ready when it is smooth and uniform, with no slice edges or separate layers left, and moves in one glossy mass under the spatula.
Low heat and slow strokesKeep the heat low the whole time the cheese is in the pan, and stir slowly rather than whisking hard. That is what turns four cheeses into one smooth sauce instead of stringy clumps and a slick of fat.
5Pour the cheese over the filling and close
Lift the pan right away and pour the hot cheese over the roast beef, tomato and pickle in one steady stream. Scrape the last of it out with the spatula. Set the hollowed top half over the filling and press it down lightly. The sandwich is closed when the top sits snugly and cheese just shows at the edges.
6Cut in half and serve at once
Move the closed roll to the plate. Hold it steady with one hand on top and cut it in half with the bread knife in a gentle sawing motion. Serve it immediately. The Bauru is at its best when the cut faces show cheese still soft and glossy between the meat and tomato.