SMAM: Pepper Steak with Grilled Onions and Blue Cheese Sauce

January 21, 2013

 

 

How goes Shrink-My-Ass-Month, Readers?  I have to say, it’s going a leetle slowly here. We might have to go into February OverTime over here. I blame football. How can you shrink your ass on the weekend when you sit on it and feed it beer and salty snacks while cheering on your favorite team? Football season is rough on the old caboose. Luckily, it’s almost over, and while I’m a bit sad that I won’t be hollering for my beloved Broncos during the Super Bowl, it’s all good with me because the Patriots are out.

It’s not that I hate the team, it’s just that I much prefer an underdog team to the juggernaut. There’s the world’s smallest violin playing over here for Tom Brady. I suppose he’ll just have to settle for his gi-normous couch in his gi-normous house with some Cristal champagne and his supermodel gal pal at his side. You know, like the rest of us.

And while my ass may be in a hurry to get football season over with, I’m going to miss it. Sunday lunches with mama and daddy are extra festive during football season. Nothing like a good meal, a close game, and many choice expletives flying through the air…ah, family bonding. It’s great.

The Super Bowl calls for a siesta from SMAM–nachos, anyone?–but we kept with the program this past weekend.  In all honesty, it didn’t feel like it, though. This dish has all the components of a decadent meal (red meat, rich and cheesy sauce) and yet it’s still not an ass-buster. Win!

I went ahead and took the extra step of grilling the onions, rather than just throwing them in the saute pan with the bell peppers, which you can certainly opt to do.  I decided to grill them because Daddy-o loves nothing better than a pile of grilled onions. Actually, this whole dish made him happy because he loves his beef and he loves his veggies and he really loves blue cheese. His brown eyes lit up and twinkled when he saw Sunday lunch, and that’s big payoff right there.

Another big payoff is the flavor of this dish. It’s packed with deliciousness. I think we all did The Yummy Dance when we picked up our silverware and dug in. I’ll be making this often, I reckon. Especially if daddy’s coming to the table.  If you have blue cheese lovers in your house, make this dish.  It’s decptively easy, too, so you’ll still have time to enjoy the big game.*

 

Pepper Steak with Grilled Onions and Blue Cheese Sauce

serves 4

For Steak:

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2-1 teaspoon cracked pepper (if you’re nervous, use 1/2 teaspoon–you can always add more pepper at the table)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/4 pounds London broil, flank or skirt steak

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large zip-top bag. Add steak to bag, seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least three hours; remove steak/marinade bag from the refrigerator about an hour before cooking.

Heat a large, ridged grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add the steak, shaking off excess marinade, to the grill pan and grill 10 minutes, turning once (for medium-rare). Remove the steak from the pan, cover it with foil, and let it rest for at least ten minutes before slicing.

For the Peppers/Onions:

3 bell peppers, green, red, yellow or any combination you fancy

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

salt and pepper

1 red onion, cut into fat rings

Toss the onion with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and grill on a ridged grill pan over medium heat, turning occasionally, until onions have distinct grill marks and have softened. Remove and set aside.

In a large non-skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add peppers and saute just until slightly softened but still crunchy, about two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the onions to the skillet, cover and keep warm.

For the Blue Cheese Sauce:

3 tablespoons sharp blue cheese, crumbled

1 wedge Laughing Cow light swiss cheese

1 tablespoon chopped shallot

1-2 tablespoons boiling water

chopped fresh parsley, cracked pepper

In a small bowl, combine the blue cheese and the Laughing Cow cheese; mash together with a fork. Add the shallot; mash. Add the boiling water (start with 1 tablespoon and increase if mixture seems overly thick) and whisk well. Some bits of blue cheese will still exist in the sauce. Season with pepper and a bit of fresh parsley.

 

To Serve: Slice the steak thinly, against the grain. Divide equally among 4 plates. Top each plate with the pepper/onion mixture. Drizzle with the blue cheese sauce or put it in a gravy boat and pass separately at the table.

*Speaking of the big game, do you have any hard-and-fast foods that you must have on Super Bowl Sunday? I mix it up, but we always snack on freshly made guacamole, extra-spicy.  So tell me, what will be on your table? I love to hear you talk.

{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }

Kristen @ Motherese January 21, 2013 at 2:06 pm

It’s SMAM over here too and I’m definitely heading into overtime. But, hey, if the Super Bowl isn’t even until February, don’t we get that extra time too? xo

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TKW January 22, 2013 at 9:12 am

I know! We have a few more weeks to make excuses!

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Biz January 21, 2013 at 3:22 pm

Hope you had a great weekend – I’d be all over that dish, sans the onions of course! Yep, we are closing in on my husbands favorite and saddest day of the year – Superbowl Sunday – because then we have months before baseball season starts, and we hate hockey and basketball!

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TKW January 22, 2013 at 9:13 am

I’m not big on the basketball, either. And I don’t like baseball. RATS!

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Katybeth January 21, 2013 at 4:23 pm

Yum. That sounds really good. Not a big blue cheese fan but my 16 year old loves blue cheese and I could just enjoy without (not much of a sauce person)
We have ribs for Superbowl Sunday and guacamole of-course. Lays potatoes chips and onion dip and whatever else strikes my fancy when I wander the grocery store aisles.
Sunday lunch sounds like such FUN

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TKW's Dad January 21, 2013 at 7:18 pm

Daddy-o’s eyes light up and twinkle a lot when he visits TKW’s home and kitchen! He is very lucky to have a Daughter that instinctively knows exactly what he likes. And he is very blessed that she will spoil him quite a bit.

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TKW January 22, 2013 at 9:14 am

Daughter lived with Daddy-o for a long time; she took notes!

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Stacia January 21, 2013 at 10:49 pm

Blue cheese and a shrinking derriere? Only you could bring us that, Kitch. <3

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Donna January 22, 2013 at 12:50 am

Oh yeah, steak and blue cheese. I’m right there with you!

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Tinne from Tantrums and Tomatoes January 22, 2013 at 5:43 am

You had me at blue cheese sauce…

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Tiffany January 22, 2013 at 6:07 am

This looks delicious. I love hearing about your parents. :) I have to have guac. Always.

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Arnebya January 22, 2013 at 8:49 am

Looks pretty. I don’t do red meat, but I love LOVE a mound of grilled onions and veggies. And bleu cheese makes everything better.

What do you add to your guac to make it extra spicy? I tend to leave mine sans spice since the kids love it so and although they sometimes like a little heat, I’ve yet to convince them that it belongs near avocado.

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TKW January 22, 2013 at 9:15 am

Arnebya,

Extra chopped fresh jalapeno always delivers. I do make a less spicy version for kiddos!

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Jamie January 23, 2013 at 12:14 am

Can of chilli + stick of cream cheese + heated in pan = insanely delicious. So white trash. And so damn good.

Also, people that don’t cook think there are six million ingredients in this dip. It makes me giggle all day.

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Robin January 27, 2013 at 11:29 am

We don’t watch football, but you make me want to just for the food! When we lived in Virginia, we went to a Super Bowl party with friends every year. I always brought large hoagies cut into bite size slices – one with roast beef and one with turkey. Hot peppers are a must. Someone always made a pot of chili, and her husband make fresh yummy salsa with corn chips. Someone else brought dessert – usually something baked and chocolate. Those were the standard dishes – whatever else showed up was random.

Sorry I haven’t been around for a while, but I am back. I missed you and your sense of humor :)

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