Italian Strip Steaks With Focaccia Recipes

ITALIAN STRIP STEAKS WITH FOCACCIA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook steaks in 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°). Remove and keep warm. , In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, shallot and onion in remaining oil. Add garlic and rosemary; saute 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in the red peppers, wine, salt and pepper; heat through., Place focaccia on serving plates; top each with a steak and 1/2 cup mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and olives.

STEAK OUT, ITALIAN STYLE

Steps:

• For the fries and Marsala mushrooms: Turn oven on 425 degrees F, a rack in lower third and another in upper third of oven.
• Gather bacon, fries, fresh and dried mushrooms, stock, butter, shallots, garlic, thyme, parsley, rosemary and steaks.
• Arrange bacon on broiler pan or wire rack over baking sheet. Arrange the waffle fries on a second large baking sheet. Place fries on top shelf and bacon below in oven. Cook bacon 15 minutes or until brown and very crisp (bacon is optional topping for fries). Cook waffle fries (or potato wedges) 25 minutes, turning once, then season with salt and pepper before topping and serving.
• Gill the portobellos (scrape the underbelly of caps) and thinly slice.
• Place dried mushrooms in small pot or pan, cover with stock or water, bring to a boil and reduce to 1/2 cup liquid, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet, cast-iron griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat for steaks.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high to high heat with EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add butter to oil and melt. Add fresh mushrooms and brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and chop shallot and grate or chop 2 cloves garlic; strip thyme leaves and chop; finely chop parsley. Add shallots and garlic to mushrooms with salt and pepper and thyme; stir, add Marsala and let it evaporate. Add porcini mushrooms and most of the stock; reserve the last of it as it may collect grit. Add the juice of a lemon and parsley, then reduce heat under the mushrooms to warm.
• Grab more ingredients: cream, cheese and chives.
• Heat cream and a clove of crushed garlic in small pot over medium to medium-high heat, reduce by a third and add gorgonzola; turn heat to low.
• For the sliced steak with rosemary: Season the steaks with kosher salt and coarse pepper. Strip rosemary leaves and coarsely chop, then rub into meat. Add olive oil to pan, 1 turn of the pan, add steaks and cook meat 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Brown and char a halved lemon with steaks the last minute or two. Reduce heat under pan and remove lemon, then add butter and crushed garlic to pan and spoon over meat. Remove meat and rest a couple of minutes, then slice against grain and top with lemon juice.
• Chop bacon, if using.
• Serve sliced steak with a small pile of greens to one side, mushrooms along the other side and waffle fries topped with gorgonzola sauce, bacon bits and chives at end of plate or platter.

FOCACCIA BARESE AL POMODORO E OLIVE (HOMEMADE ITALIAN FOCACCIA WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES)

Steps:

• Place potato into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
• Peel potato; mash in a large bowl with a fork. Pour in flour and mix well with your fingertips. Rub together until mixture is even and free of lumps.
• Combine 1 cup water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well and let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 5 tablespoons olive oil.
• Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture; mix, adding remaining 1 cup water a little at a time, until a soft dough forms. Mix in 1 tablespoon salt.
• Knead dough on a clean work surface until smooth and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
• Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place dough on the baking sheet; stretch into the corners. Arrange tomatoes and olives over dough.
• Mix remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons water together in a bowl. Brush mixture over dough. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon salt on top. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake focaccia on the lower rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lift up with a fork to check bottom is golden brown. Transfer to the middle rack and bake until top is golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Sprinkle oregano on top.

ITALIAN PIZZAIOLA (BEEFSTEAK PIZZA STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F is using glass baking dish).
• Place steaks, in one layer, in a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Mash up tomatoes and pour on top of steaks, spreading to cover steaks.
• Sprinkle with oregano, parsley, onion salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and minced garlic.
• Drizzle olive oil on top and bake, uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Take steaks out of oven; sprinkle tops with shredded Mozzarella cheese.
• Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted.
• *NOTE* If you want to use the sauce over pasta, you might want to add 1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce along with the can of stewed tomatoes to make it go a little further.

GRILLED TUSCAN-STYLE STEAK WITH FOCACCIA SALSA

Steps:

• For steak: Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• For porterhouse steaks: Grill 6-7 minutes per side for medium rare; 7-9 minutes for medium. For rib eye or shell steaks: Cook 5-6 minutes per side for medium rare; 6-7 minutes for medium. Remove; squeeze a wedge of lemon on each steak.
• For foccacia salsa: Rip bread in to small pieces. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook 3 minutes, or until golden. Add garlic, bread, rosemary and parsley, then stir with a wooden spoon until mixture is evenly coated with olive oil and bread is golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Presentation 1: Portable Porterhouse.
• Pass whole steaks around the table on a wooden cutting board with a bowl of salsa and remaining lemon wdges.
• Presentation 2: Sit-Down Dinner.
• Slice steaks against the grain into 1/4" pieces. Overlap slices on a plate; make an S pattern on meat with 1/2 cup of salsa. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.