As I posted in a recent article, I am a big Giada fan.  I also talked in that article about one of her recipes I used as a base for a dish I made at a super bowl party I attend every year.  Well, for my tastes, it needed a bit of tweaking, so for you steak sandwich lovers, here it is.

The first thing you need to consider for this recipe is the type of steak you are going to use.  Ideally, you want a steak with a lot of fat.  A lean cut of beef will not do well in my opinion.  This is because you need extra tender beef for a good steak sandwich.  There is nothing worse then eating one, and pulling out huge chunks of beef and destroying the sandwich.

For the best flavor, I would use the cut Giada recommends (rib-eye), but really any fatty cut will work.  Shell steak for example will work.   For this recipe, I will use rib-eye.

First, the marinade.  The one thing I changed was I took out the mustard seed.  I do not think it really needed it.  I  replaced it instead with Dijon mustard.

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons spicy Dijon mustard (i.e. grey poupon)

Mix all of these ingredients together in a large sealable plastic baggy add:

• three 12 -14 oz. rib-eye steaks.

Marinate the meat for at least an hour, but it will taste better if you marinate over night.

The bread in the original recipe calls for a baguette, but I find this type of french bread is very narrow and makes for a messy sandwich.  Try for a wider (but not thicker vertically) bread.  You do not want to use a normal sub roll because the bread is so thick, it will steal a lot of the flavor.

• 1 loaf of french bread about 2 feet long.

Now comes time for making the spread that will go on the bread.  This is where 80% of the flavor is going to come from.  Her recipe calls for Gorgonzola cheese and for a great taste, she is right.  If you cannot find that at your grocer however, blue cheese will work great too.  In a mixing bowl, add the following:

• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

Now here is where I change the recipe a bit.  Giada leaves it here but I felt the spread needed a bit more.  First, mix the spread in the mixing bowl with an electric mixer.  Gorgonzola cheese is rather strong so some pallets may be a bit offended.  By mixing it with a mixer, it addresses this issue.  Keep mixing until the lumps get pretty small.  This will ensure that nobody gets a large chunk of cheese that will be out of proportion with their bite.

After your done mixing, add the following:

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Mix these in lightly to the rest of the mix and let sit for a few minutes so the flavors can mix.

While your waiting, fire up your grill.  For me, I have finally found a good use for my George Foreman grill.  It is perfect for this recipe during super bowl season because it is just too darn cold outside to fire up the grill.  Any other climate/time of year, I would grill these outside until they are medium rare (about 5-6 minutes).

When they are finished, let these rest for at least 10 minutes so the juices can cool down and not drop all over your cutting board where they become useless.

While your resting the steaks:

You will want a lettuce to put on the bread roll.  Giada recommends arugula, and that is a wonderful choice.  I mixed it up a bit with arugula and iceberg.  Be creative, just don’t add heaping amounts.

Cut the bread roll down the middle and spread the sour cream and cheese mixture on both cuts of the bread.  On one side, add your lettuce.

Cut the steaks against the grain on an angle in very thin slices (thinner the better) and lay the slices on the bread that doesn’t have the the lettuce on it.  Put all the steak on the roll, even if you have to add another layer.  Trust me, nobody is going to complain about too much steak. 🙂

Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the meat, and then flip the roll with the lettuce on it, over the side with the meat on it.

Cut the roll into 2-3 inch pieces with a sharp knife.  I use a bread knife so the roll stays intact.  Arrange on a platter and serve.   Enjoy!