Steak is not often on the menu in our household. But it was important to me to make The Mister Steak and Eggs for Father's Day, and steak was on sale at our local grocery store. It had to be fate! I found a nearly-2-pound sirloin steak for under $10.00. I set aside 8 ounces for the steak and eggs, and set about searching for a recipe to use with the other portion.
When I came across Steak Pizzaiola in an issue of Food Network Magazine, I didn't even know what the title meant. Apparently, "pizzaiola" means "prepared with an Italian sauce made from tomato and oregano." And there are lots of tomatoes in this recipe! It reminded me very much of one of our household favorites, sausage with peppers and onion.
Following Food Network's cooking instructions exactly yielded a perfectly cooked steak. Seared on the outside, yet still slightly pink on the inside, just the way I like it. The peppers were tender, but not mushy. Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes up or down for more or less heat, depending on your preference. Since sirloin does not go on sale often, I may try this recipe again, using stewing beef instead of sirloin. Chicken would probably also taste great in this dish.
The original recipe recommends serving this dish with a side of focaccia. I chose to serve it with ciabatta, but really, any Italian bread would do just fine.
Steak Pizzaiola
Adapted from Food Network
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless sirloin steak, trimmed
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into ¼-inch rings
- 3 medium bell peppers (1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow), sliced ½-inch thick
- 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Italian bread, for serving
Directions
- Season the steak on both sides with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the steak in the hot oil for two minutes on each side. Remove to a plate or baking sheet lined with foil.
- Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the peppers and onion and saute, and cook until soft, about four minutes, stirring frequently (lowering the heat to medium if necessary to prevent burning).
- Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and ¾ cup of water to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a rapid simmer. Push the onion and peppers to the sides of the pan and add the steak in the center. Simmer for 4 minutes, then flip the steak and simmer another 3 minutes.
- Remove the steak to a cutting board to rest. Simmer the sauce for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Slice the steak against the grain and divide among four plates. Top with sauce and serve with slices of Italian bread.