Pan-Seared Steak with Pizzaiola Sauce

Name: Pan-Seared Steak with Pizzaiola Sauce
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips; 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips; 2 cups sliced white button mushrooms; 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 14-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand; Four 8-ounce bone-in shell steaks, about 1 inch thick

December 14, 2011

What is important to remember about this dish is that the steak and the sauce never cook together. That way, all the meat juices remain in the steak; if you were to cook them together, the juices would seep out. Meanwhile, the pepper-and-mushroom sauce remains bright and fresh with the flavor of the tomatoes and vegetables.

Recipe information

Yield
serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips

2 cups sliced white button mushrooms

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

14-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand

Four 8-ounce bone-in shell steaks, about 1 inch thick

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced garlic. Let the garlic sizzle a minute, then toss in the bell peppers and mushrooms. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the oregano. Sauté until the mushrooms and peppers are caramelized on the edges, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Pour in the tomatoes, and slosh out the can with 1/2 cup hot water, adding that to the skillet as well. Bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the peppers break down, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Step 3
Season the steaks with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sear them in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until done to your liking, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Let the steaks rest for a few minutes while the sauce finishes cooking.
Step 4
To serve, put the steaks on plates and top with the pepper sauce. Serve immediately.
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Step 5
This recipe could also be made with a piece of beef tenderloin, seared and then sliced.

Cover of the cookbook featuring the author with a table full of fresh herbs and vegetables.

Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

NOte

Step 5

Recipe notes