Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Man food

                                             
I married a meat and potatoes kind of guy. No two ways about it. Oh, don't get me wrong.  He isn't picky and will happily eat just about whatever I make. But the guy spends his days working hard. Dinner needs to be substantial at this house.  Froufrou doesn't cut it. Thankfully, I have got a sandwich in my arsenal that does the trick every time. Steak, onions, mushrooms, peppers sauteed in butter, piled high and smothered with cheese?  Oh yeah!  Add a stack of oven fries and there is a happy man.

I first saw a version of this sandwich over on Pioneer Woman a couple of years ago.  Her original version calls for a huge amount of Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and a full two sticks of butter.  The result was not a hit at this house.  I've played around till finding a combination that works for us.  Juicy and flavorful, the whole family loves this.   I like using cube steak for the meat.  It's an inexpensive cut of beef that has been tenderized and is easy to work with.

Steak Sandwich
2-3 lbs cube steak
butter
2-3 Tablespoons Canadian steak seasoning (like McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)
Worcestershire Sauce
Steak sauce (like A1 or whatever brand you prefer)
1/2 cup Beef stock
1 onion, sliced
1/2  of a sweet red bell pepper, sliced longwise
1/2 of a green red bell pepper, sliced longwise
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried thyme
olive oil
salt and pepper
4-6 whole deli rolls.
mozzarella  or provolone cheese slices
 garlic salt

Cut cube steak into long strips, about 1/2 an inch wide. Sprinkle with  steak seasoning and 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce. Refrigerate for at least an hour or all day if you prefer.

This is a case that calls for a good old iron skillet. They hold the heat like crazy and are great for creating a good, dark sear (aka FLAVOR). If you don't have an iron skillet, a heavy stainless steel one will do as  well.  But this really is not a place for nonstick cookware.  Save that for your eggs.

Over med high heat, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to skillet. Let the oil heat for a minute, add sliced onions,  mushrooms and 1/2 tsp thyme.  Stir to coat with the oil  and then let sit for a minute.  Don't be afraid to let a little color develop.  Cook, stirring occasionally for  3 minutes or until onion begins to soften.  Add in peppers, toss with onions, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt & a shake or two of pepper.  Let cook on high without stirring, for a few minutes or until edges start to brown up.   Take onions and peppers out of skillet and set aside.

Back to that beef. Pull it out of the refrigerator and pat dry with some paper towels. Too much left on your meat means it will steam instead of sauteing.  And who wants to eat steamed beef?? Yech! Turn your burner on to a good high heat.  Not all the way up, but mighty close.  Let your skillet get good and hot, then go ahead and melt three tablespoons of butter in there.  Add the meat to the skillet in a single layer and LEAVE IT ALONE. You will want to stir it.  Don't. As the meats sits there, it will begin to caramelize and deep, delicious flavors start happening. After a couple minutes or when the first side is a good, deep brown - not grey - flip the meat over and let it brown on the other side.

When the meat is all browned, add a good 1/2 cup of beef stock.  Sitr until all the stuck bits on the bottom of the pan are loosened. Turn heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 2 tablespoons steak sauce and 2 tablespoons of butter.  Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Add in peppers, onions and mushrooms. Cover and let sit.

Split the rolls open.  Spread each  side with butter and sprinkle lightly with a little garlic salt.  Lay butter side up on cookie sheet. Toast rolls under the broiler for a minute or until butter melts and the rolls start to brown. On the bottom half of rolls, layer on meat and veggies. Spoon a little bit of sauce from the pan over the top, then add cheese. Slide back under the broiler for 30 seconds or until cheese begins to melt. Top with other side of roll and there you have it - a delicious steak sandwich. Guaranteed to put a smile on the face of the men in your life.

2 comments:

  1. Douglas would LOVE this!! Can't wait to try it!
    Crystal

    ReplyDelete
  2. So your making this for me the next time I'm down??
    Jason

    ReplyDelete