There are a couple of ways I like to prepare these scrumpty steak sandwiches. One, by grilling the steak over very hot coals for that smoky charred but medium rare in the center meat. And another, by slightly chilling the steak prior to cooking and slicing it thinly on a bias then finishing by cooking the slices quickly over the stove. I prefer the grill method but either works well and since rain was in the immediate forecast yet again here in Florida, the latter was the method of choice.

INGREDIENTS:

For the steak and sandwiches

• 1 (12 oz) Sirloin or New York strip steak, trimmed of the fat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon crystallized garlic
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• fresh sandwich buns
• baby spinach leaves

For the chile mayo

• 1/2 cup light mayo
• 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek chile sauce
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

For the roasted red pepper cream

• 2 large red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded and cut in half
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• pinch of salt
• fresh ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

For the roasted red pepper cream & chile mayo

1. OK let’s get the sauce done and out of the way. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Press down onto the red pepper halves over a cutting board or counter top to flatten them as best as you can. Place them on a baking sheet skin side up and roast them until the tops are charred but not completely burnt. Remove and place into a zip lock freezer bag and allow them to cool for about 30 minutes. Next peel the skin away from the meat of the peppers and discard. Put the roasted peppers and sour cream in a food processor and puree. Add salt and pepper to taste. To make the chile mayo simply mix the ingredients, adjusting the salt as necessary.

For the steak sandwiches

2. Slightly chill or freeze the steak just to the point were it is firm and easy to slice but not frozen through. Thinly slice the steak on a diagonal bias, against the grain of the meat. Season with salt, pepper and crystallized garlic and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium high heat. Add the sliced onions and red peppers and lower heat to medium. Add the garlic and sauté the mixture slowly until peppers are soft and the onions are caramelized. Remove to a platter and return heat to medium high. Add the steak meat to the pan and cook for about 2 – 3 minutes (stirring constantly) or just until the meat is cooked. Remove from heat and build your sandwiches but slathering on the sauces, one on each side of the bun, and adding the spinach, steak and onion and pepper mixture. What you get is a nice spicy, rustic, hearty tasting steak sandwich.

Serves 4

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