Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Bachelor Chow Steak Sandwich

On my way home from work today, I browsed the bakery clearance cart at a certain retail superstore and came up with a bag of 8 large, sesame-seeded rolls, marked down because today was their "best if used by" date. Next, I ran by the meat department, planning to grab a four-pack of hamburger patties, but decided instead to get a package of 7 small, thin-sliced steaks. Then, steering a route toward the cash registers that took me through the produce department, I impulse-bought a nice, soft avocado. And to steal again from Emeril... BAM!

When I materialized in my kitchen (sizzle, bang, poof), I sealed up three of the steaks in a freezer bag and popped them in the fridge for tomorrow. I took out two of the seeded rolls and threw the remaining half-dozen in the freezer. I took out my big skillet and, over a medium flame, heated a couple tablespoons' worth of olive oil. I added pepper and a teaspoon of minced garlic, stirred it around a bit, and laid down the four remaining steaks.

While cooking these on both sides (I turned them 2 or 3 times), I sliced open the two rolls. Then I skinned the avocado and scraped the flesh haphazardly, messily, onto the bottom half of each roll. I layered two sizzling steaks onto each mess of avocado, then smeared the top half of each roll with a bit of the "zesty steak sauce" that the local supermarket sells as a cheap alternative to Heinz 57 Sauce.

The results? Tasty. Juicy. Maybe not melt-in-your-mouth tender, but we're talking about round steaks here. What they lacked in tenderness, they made up in thinness. I could bite through them without having to make like a trapped fox gnawing its foot off. The combined flavors and textures made my day. And best of all, I managed this on a tight budget, on impulse, with no kitchen finesse whatsoever. Heck, I even used a plastic knife to cut up the avocado, and I ate the sandwiches off a paper plate. So laugh, ye bachelors! And salivate, Mom!

No comments: