Kitchen Chemistry: Steak on a Sandwich on a Budget

Adam here. It seems that about 60% of my posts involve flank steak. It may be difficult to understand our enthusiasm for this cut of meat until you've tried a few of our recipes. Flank steak is fantastic hot or cold. It can be paired with sweet, sour, savory, or pungent sauces. It is one of the few foods (along with stew and roasted turkey) that actually tastes better as a leftover. Additionally, for a couple like Elizabeth and I, a two-pound steak is usually enough for dinner, a midnight snack, a treat for Matilda, and a brown bag lunch the next day. This is very economical (in terms of time AND money) for a struggling family scraping by in the most expensive state in the union.

This steak started out (along with two of its brethren, which were devoured before we could locate the camera) at Andronico's market, and then made its way to the Aquatic Park in West Berkeley for a brief charcoal grilling. Grilling meat at the park is a truly Hobbesian experience, which requires one to build a fire and defend your meat from stray dogs, stray owners, and the recently released prisoners who inhabit said park. You also have to drink your beer on the sly, as that sort of thing can lead to a heavy fine (the only hope California has of balancing its budget is to fine people who can't afford their own grill).

I marinated this steak in vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper prior to grilling. Traditional charcoal briquettes were used, along with 50 mL of hexane from the lab to accelerate the process. The flank steak was then refrigerated (to immobilize the juices) and slice thin on a diagonal to elongate the grain of the meat. I will persist in calling this a sashimi cut until someone with credentials corrects me.

Our sourdough loaf was toasted and lightly coated with white truffle oil. Be aware that truffle oil permanently "truffle odorizes" anything that it touches. No amount of detergent can take truffle oil down. You should dedicate a basting brush for this ingredient and segregate it from the rest of your cooking tools.

My bleu cheese spread was prepared with one part crumbled Gorgonzola, one part Cambozola, one part cream cheese, 1/2 part unsalted butter, and salt and pepper to taste, warmed and mixed to a creamy consistency.

The rest is easy. Shove everything (including some baby arugula) between two slices of oiled bread and enjoy. We recommend pairing your sandwich with a strong red wine, as mere beer cannot compete with such a powerfully flavored entree. 

I included sliced Braeburn apples and a few green grapes as a palate cleanser between bites and sips.  Elizabeth testifies that the slice apple works well as another layer in the sandwich. (Editor's note: The apple is a sweet and crisp element that lightens each bite, making it much more suited for a warm-weather luncheon!) However, I scarfed mine before I could try this out, and she wouldn't give me a bite of hers. I guess that's something to try next time...

Croque-Madame...Oui Monsieur!

StB and her dad have been raving about something called a "Croque-Madame."  I am extremely uncultured, so initially I thought that this meant "dead lady" in Spanish.  How wrong I was.  Croque-Madame actually translates (roughly, in French) as "Miz Crunch," and is a far tastier and more wholesome dish than "Captain Crunch," which was one of my favorite breakfast cereals growing up (this cereal contains fiberglass, which allows the Crunch to enter your bloodstream much faster).  Anyway, the Croque-Madame is a glorious invention involving an elegant combination of French toast, ham, Gruyere (or Emmental), and fried egg.  It's a staple of French cafe fare- and it makes one helluva breakfast.  Prepared without the egg, this sandwich is called a "Croque-Monsieur."  Prepared at McDonald's it becomes a "Croque-McDo" (not even kidding).  Substitute chorizo sausage and it's a "Croque-Basquaise."  Basquaise is French for Both "Basque woman" and "Basque chicken" (and you wonder why we hate the French).  I tweaked the Croque-Madame recipe a little and tried one for myself.  Here's how it went...

Instead of ham, I cooked thinly sliced prosciutto in a saute pan until crunchy.

The French toast batter was prepared with 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of cream, and 2 tablespoons each of water, agave syrup and vegetable oil.

Slices of French bread were dipped lightly in the batter, fried until crispy and golden brown, then topped with copious amounts of melted Gruyere.

The eggs were fried over-easy in unsalted butter.

If I were to do this again, I would use a better quality prosciutto and add either a sweet or sour element to the dish.  I'm thinking maple syrup, honey, or a good hollandaise sauce... you can never have too much flavor, even for breakfast .