A better steak sandwich? With mayo, arugula and cheddar?

A Yahoo headline today makes quite a claim:

"How to Make the Perfect Steak Sandwich."

With mayo, arugula and cheddar? And open-faced?

No, it's not from the Washington-addled brain of Sen. John Kerry, who once tried to order a cheesesteak hoagie with Swiss here in Philly.

It's from a Left Coast gourmet place, with its own ideas.

To be fair, the billing doesn't say "Philly cheesesteak," so nobody's arguing authenticity.

Still, "perfect" invites comparisons.

Or at least a second-guess of Yahoo's headline-writer, who may not be speaking for the source.

The recipe, by executive chef Lee Hefter of Wolfgang Puck's Cut steakhouse in Los Angeles, is offered by a new book, Eat Like a Man, from Esquire, whose website (www.esquire.com) describes the sandwich as "out-of-this-world."

For the record, Hefter said his next favorite sandwich is beef tongue from a taco truck.

His steak creation takes a bit of care to construct. Judge for yourself, comment below - and let us know if you try it.

Start with 8 ounces of prime strip or rib-eye steak or filet. Grill, broil or pan-sear till medium-rare. Season with coarse salt and ground black pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a saute pan, and caramelize half-cup red onions. Add half-cup pickled cherry peppers and a cup of thinly sliced white mushrooms, mix and cook the veggies, then add 2 tablespoons bottled steak sauce. More salt and pepper.

"Lightly butter" a hoagie-style soft roll, then toast it buttered-side down in a pan. Spread on garlic mayo (which you make with mashed garlic, mayo, kosher salt, black pepper and parsley), then top with 4 slices Vermont white cheddar, and heat open-faced under a broiler to melt the cheese. Add steak, veggie mix and then argula "dressed with red-wine or light balsamic vinaigrette." Shred a 2-inch piece of horseradish root on top - warning: "as when working with raw chiles, do not touch your eyes" - and serve.

For more details on this recipe, go to http://bit.ly/iApQu8.

Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.