Italian Strip Steaks With Focaccia Food

THE BEST FOCACCIA

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook on low speed, stir in the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, mixing until the flour is completely moistened. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Add the salt and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. (The dough will tighten up, then begin to relax. After 5 minutes it will be very wet and stick to the bottom of the mixer but not the sides.)
• Rub 2 tablespoons olive oil around the bottom and sides of a large mixing bowl (big enough to hold at least double the volume of the dough). Using a scraper or spatula, transfer the dough to the bowl, flipping once to coat completely with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Pour the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into the bottom of an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Use your hands to evenly distribute the oil along the bottom and up the sides. Scrape the dough into the baking sheet, flattening it slightly with your hands. Flip the dough once and gently stretch it to fit into an even layer in the baking sheet. (The dough may not stretch to the edges at this point. If it starts to pull back, let rest 10 minutes and re-stretch, making sure to pull from the center as well as the edges to get an even thickness.) Use your fingertips to make dimples over the surface of the focaccia, pressing firmly but not so hard you make holes in the dough.
• For the brine and finish: Dissolve the kosher salt in 1/3 cup warm water. Drizzle over the surface of the focaccia, letting it pool in the dimples. Cover loosely with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to relax and rise again.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, until the focaccia is deep golden brown on the top and bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Drizzle with the olive oil and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the focaccia to a wire rack to cool completely.

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.

STEAK PIZZAIOLA

Steps:

• Sprinkle the steak all over with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and sear until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the garlic to the skillet. Once it sizzles, add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften slightly, about 4 minutes. Add the pepperoncini, tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and 3/4 cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a rapid simmer, then nestle the steak in the sauce and simmer, turning once, until medium rare, about 7 minutes.
• Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest about 5 minutes. Continue simmering the sauce until thickened, about 3 more minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and divide among plates. Top with the sauce and parsley. Serve with focaccia.

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.

ITALIAN STEAKS

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, whisk egg. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cut steak into four pieces; dip each piece in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture., In a large skillet, cook steaks in oil over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°)., Meanwhile, heat sauce in a small saucepan. Spoon over steaks; sprinkle with cheese.