Steakums

This past weekend prior to grocery shopping I had to plan some menus for the week. One charge was beef. I wanted pot roast or something super rich and tasty, but didn't feel like spending the time with the oven on or digging out the slow cooker. I made my way through some cookbooks to see what I could find that would inspire me. Ultimately I settled on a concept in the book, The Way We Cook: Recipes from the New American Kitchen by Sheryl Julian & Julie Riven. A book I've had for some time and haven't used before. One recipe in the book is for smothered steak sandwiches. I liked the idea and wanted to play around a little.


Steak Sandwich
w/Homemade Sweet & Savory Ketchup

I started my adventure with a small chunk of flank steak that I dry rubbed with a blend of spices that included paprika, thyme, salt, pepper and cumin. I tossed that on the grill pan for about 5 minutes per side.

While that worked out I prepared the sauce to smother my steak sandwich. Onions sauted in olive oil. Some spices, I can't remember all of them now; cumin, cayenne, oregano. There was some brown sugar and some Worchestshire sauce. Salt and pepper. The final sauce was sweet and savory. It was pretty much a chunky homemade ketchup.

After you steak has cooked to the desired doneness (medium-rare in this case), allow for rest for a few minutes, then slice across the grain of the meat for the most tender texture. Pour any collected juice into the sauce.

Toast up a fresh baguette and dress the bread the way you like. I went with a few slices of fresh mozarella. One went the steak slices and a few hearty spoonfuls of the sauce. The sandwiches were served with hot oven fries and beer! Great combinations.


Oven Fries: I cut up one medium large russet potato, from end to end. I got about 16 slices, enough for two people, but we both could have had more. Toss the slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and any herbs and spices you like. Lay out on a lined baking sheet and place in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Flip the slices over 1/2 way through baking. They are done when tender inside and crisp and brown on the outside.