Picture Perfect Cooking

C & I love to eat at The Great Steak and Potato Company.  This is my first effort to make a steak sandwich similar to theirs.  My recipe was based on one from the Alton Brown show “Good Eats” on the Food Network which is my favorite show on that channel.  Mister Brown’s recipe Chain of Bull Cheese Steaks looked so good, I tried the recipe.

I could not find the exact cut of beef that he used, so sirloin was used as a substitute.  The steak should have been pounded thinner, but the taste was still pretty good for a first try.  C said that it was really good for a first try.  The fries were my own concoction, and one of C’s favorites.  I have to tell on myself…the recipe said to toss the meat with the olive oil before putting it in the hot pan.  You will see below.  Forgetting that olive oil has a very low smoke point, I poured the oil in the pan while it was heating.  I set off 2 smoke detectors with this, so I told C that I was going to name these “Two Alarm Steak Sandwiches”!  Ha, ha! Remember, this is not the exact Alton Brown recipe.  His was used for a basic guidelines, so this will be different.

Let’s make the sandwiches first.

For 2 sandwiches:

appr. 1/2 lb sirloin steak (the package I bought had .62 lbs which was fine)

1 tsp olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 hoagie rolls

4 slices provolone cheese

Remove the beef from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before cooking.  Preheat a skillet over high heat.  Lightly pound the steak until it is an even thickness throughout, the thinner the better.

Toss the meat with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Once the pan is hot, place the steak in the pan and sear on both sides until cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove the steak from the pan and wrap in aluminum foil to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Slice the beef into small pieces and divide evenly between the 2 hoagie rolls.  Pour any juice from the meat onto the hoagie as well.  Top the meat with cheese and wrap in aluminum foil.  Place in a warm oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  My oven was still warm from cooking the oven-baked fries.

Seasoned Oven-Baked Fries

3 Idaho potatoes

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 tsp seasoning salt

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch sticks and place in a bowl.  Add oil, seasoning salt, salt & pepper to the potatoes and toss to coat.

Spread potatoes on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, stir fries, and bake for 10 more minutes.  Broil for 2 additional minutes to get a crunchy fry.  Serve with steak sandwiches and enjoy!