Rachael demos an easy trick for slicing steaks up thin, then tosses together peppers, onions and seasonings for a delicious knife-and-fork meal over toast.
- 2 sirloin steaks, about 12-14 ounces each, 1-1¼ inches thick
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons coarse pepper, and 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, combined
- Olive oil, about 5 tablespoons
- 3 cubanelle peppers, halved and sliced, or other frying peppers, green and/or red
- 1 large onion or 2 medium onions, peeled, quartered and sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup sherry, red vermouth, or white wine
- ¼ cup Italian hot pickled cherry pepper rings and about 2 tablespoons brine
- A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 4 (1 inch thick) slices good-quality Italian bread or white bread
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- A small handful of parsley, finely chopped
- About ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
For the steaks, pat meat dry then place meat in freezer for about 10 minutes to firm it up. Very thinly slice meat on slight bias, cutting against the grain.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Season the meat with some salt-pepper-garlic mixture and cook in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to brown and crispy at edges (do not crowd the pan). Remove meat to plate and cover. Add to skillet more oil, then add peppers and onions and season with more salt-pepper-garlic mixture. Cook to tender crisp, 5-6 minutes, add tomato paste, stir, add sherry or wine and toss to lift up drippings. Add brine and toss with beef.
For the toast, melt butter into oil with garlic. Toast bread in hot oven or under broiler to light golden, brush with garlic mixture and top with thyme, parsley and cheese. Finish browning, and cut corner to corner.
Arrange toast in shallow bowls or on platters and top with pepper steak and sauce, then garnish with parsley and cherry pepper rings.
