Italian Beef (ALMOST famous...)

This isn't typical roast, sliced Italian style beef - it's more of a pulled pork version but with classic Italian beef flavor!  So - if you're jonesin' for Portillo's, this might do the trick!!

Take a roast beef (I use round), approx. 4#, and cut it into a few 1-1/12" slices.  In hot olive oil, brown the meat on all sides.

To the meat (photo below) add a couple celery stalks, a large chopped onion, a cup of chopped green pepper, 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt, 1/4 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. oregano,  8 cloves of chopped garlic, 2 Tblsp. beef 'base' (bouillon paste in a tub, Jamesons or GFS brand is good), 1/4 cup olive oil and  enough water to JUST cover the meat.  If you like heat - shake in a little cayenne or a shake of crushed red pepper OR a spoonful of hot giardiniere.  Stir.   Bring the liquid to a boil and then lower the temp. to med-low - enough to keep simmering without boiling heavily.  

Keep covered and let it cook for 2- 2-1/2 hrs.  Check periodically (every half hour) to make sure there's enough liquid, adding a little more water if necessary to keep the meat pretty well covered.  When checking, test for seasonings (add S&P if needed - I usually add more pepper) .  All the vegs will have cooked down at this point (after 2+ hrs).  

Test the meat - if it shreds apart easily, remove from the heat onto a countertop.  Carefully pour out half the liquid into a container and reserve it. and continue to shred apart the meat. Otherwise continue simmering for another 30-60 minutes.  Once the meat is shredded, add the reserved liquid until it's as juicy as you like.

When the meat is done and completely shredded, it's ready to put onto Italian bread, along with sauteed green peppers and giardiniere, if you like that.  Or top it with shredded cheese and run it under the broiler for a few seconds.

Grilled Flank Steak

Season a 3-4# flank steak with salt & pepper and place the steak (2-4#) in a bowl or pan - spoon your favorite marinade over it.  I drizzle my steak with olive oil (1/3 cup), a couple tsps. of balsamic vinegar, a touch of cayenne, lots of fresh chopped herbs (basil, thyme, oregano), a couple cloves of crushed garlic... turn the meat in the marinade a couple times to cover it evenly with the seasonings. Cover and refrigerage. Every 15 minutes or so, flip the steak over.  The longer you let it set, the tastier it'll be. I'd let it sit in the marinade for at LEAST one hour.

Heat your grill (we use gas, but charcoal is fine) until it's very hot.  Put the steak on the grill and cover it, letting it sear for 3-5 minutes. Flip it onto the other side and grill for another 2-4 minutes.  Turn the grill off, leave covered and let the meat stay on the hot grill for another 5-10 minutes (use your best judgment: less grill time for a thinner steak - more for a thicker one).  After you take the steak off the grill, do NOT cut it; let it sit for 10 minutes so that the juices stay INside the steak and not run out. Do this with ANY steak you cook! On a cutting board, slice the steak (angled) against the grain into 1/4" slices.

Flank steak is a delicious cut of meat if it's cooked properly. Overcook it (or cut it with the grain) and it'll be dry and stringy.

Classic Sauce Bearnaise for Rib Eye Steaks

I'm grilling a couple X-large rib-eye steaks tonight. Both guys in my house like their steaks seasoned with salt & pepper and THAT'S IT- no fancy rubs or seasonings, no sauces, no nothing!  I might steal a little piece for myself (although I eat very little meat) and if I do, I'll have a little bearnaise sauce on the side:

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 shallots (or white onions), finely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves (or 1tsp. dried) 4 white peppercorns, crushed (or 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper) 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup dry white wine (or white cooking wine/non alcoholic)

4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 1/4 teaspoon salt Pinch of cayenne, if desired

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat just to melt. Boil shallots, tarragon, and peppercorns in vinegar and wine in a nonreactive medium-size saucepan over medium heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Strain into the top of a double boiler.

Whisk in the egg yolks. Place the top over the bottom of the double boiler containing simmering water. Make sure that the top of the water is below the bottom of the upper part of the double boiler. Whisk constantly. The SECOND that the yolk mixture begins to thicken slightly, remove the top of the double boiler from above the hot water and continue whisking. (IF NOT THE EGGS WILL COOK!!)

Turn off the heat. Add four ice cubes to the bottom of the double boiler to cool the hot water a little. Put the pan of yolks back above the hot water. Whisk in the melted butter, drizzling it in very slowly. If at any time the sauce looks as if it is about to break apart, remove the top and continue whisking to cool it down or whisk in 1 teaspoon cold water. With constant whisking, whisk in the salt and cayenne. When all the butter is incorporated, taste and add more salt or cayenne- if you want a little heat!

Serve slightly warm but NOT hot - extreme heat will make this delicate sauce separate/curdle.

Sicilian Style Breaded Round Steak

Have 1-2# of thin, thin, THINLY sliced round steak seasoned with salt and pepper.  If they're not less than 1/4" thick, pound them with a meat mallet. (You can see in the photo below how thin they are.)

One at a time, dip them in:

1.) a pan of flour seasoned with S&P

then

2.) a pan of beaten eggs (2) seasoned with S & P, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (if you want a little heat, add some cayenne here or crushed red pepper

& finally

3.) a pan of crumbs:    1 C. breadcrumbs, 1 C. Panko crumbs (if you don't use these, use regular breadcrumbs) mixed with 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1/2 teasp. oregano, 1/2 teasp. basil, 1/4 teasp. garlic powder,  1/2 teasp. seasoned salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Lay the cutlets on a large pan (& not on top of one another), cover them and chill for at least 1/2 hour (or more).

Heat olive oil (or vegetable oil) in a large skillet.  When very hot, lay the cutlets in the oil, leaving enough room so they don't crowd or overlap each other.

They'll only need to fry for a couple minutes on each side, so check them often so they don't burn! Once they're golden, turn and finish the other side the same way.  These are VERY THIN, so they won't need to cook as long as pork or chicken cutlets.

Remove & drain - then serve plain or with lemon slices (or if you have a favorite sauce)  --- and if you have any marinara you could make these into steak parmesan baked with sauce and cheese!