Eating Out at Home

I'm excited to share with you our dinner of a few nights ago because it was so fantastic and relatively easy to make. I generally consider a meal a true success if I would be happy eating it at a restaurant. I hate going out to eat only to order a meal that is mediocre (what are they getting paid for in the kitchen?), although I'm a little more generous at my own kitchen table. I admit that sometimes supper is only good, not great, but I'm not a professional cook so that's alright. I found that this dish would be a welcome sight (and taste!) at any eating establishment. I asked my spouse if he would want me to make it again. The answer..."Oh yeah!"

I had some thin strips of flank steak in the freezer (fresh would be better, obviously, but most often not an option Up Here) and wasn't sure what to do with it, but thanks to some inspiration from the "Best of Bridges" cookbook (a gift from my mother-in-law) and a frozen garlic bread, I made a most delicious dinner!

Open-Faced Cheesesteak Sandwich

Mix together the following (this is for 2 portions); adjust for the amount of meat you are working with:

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon soya sauce

1 Tablespoon vinegar (I used rice wine, I would imagine that balsamic would work as well)

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 teaspoon thyme

fresh ground pepper

Marinate the thinly sliced steak for a couple hours, or overnight if possible. 

Chop 1 onion and 1 bell pepper into small strips and saute in oil or butter in a pan on medium heat. Once onions become translucent lower heat and continue to cook, covered for another 20 minutes at least, watching that the heat is low enough that the veggies do not burn. You want the onions to carmelize, not become crispy.

In the meantime, bake store-bought garlic bread according to the instructions on the bag. The best type of bread for this is the wide french loaf, as this will allow you to pile on more toppings than a thin loaf. If you live in the North and don't have garlic bread nearby, you can always make your own while the steak is marinating. Bake a french loaf, cut lengthwise and then smear both sides with homemade garlic butter (soften butter and mix in minced garlic...I didn't need to explain that, did I? Thought not).

Back to the recipe: remove the bread from the oven and set to Broil. Either broil or grill the steak; a few minutes on each side should be enough, depending on how thinly it has been sliced. Cut the meat into strips and lay the strips on the bread. Top with onions and peppers and then grated cheese (I used a blend of old and medium cheddar, but you can use whatever type of cheese you like: swiss would be great too). Put under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and becomes golden. If you wish, top with the other half of the loaf, although I found the bread too thick to make a real sandwich and that it was easier to eat open-faced and still quite filling.

Being as far North as we are, we have very limited options when it comes to dining out, so I can doubly appreciate a meal that is easy to make but is restaurant quality in taste. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!