Steak Pizzaiola (Beef Recipes)

Member Name: sweetpea01

Product:	Beef Recipes
Date:	18/01/09 (147 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick and Easy

Disadvantages: None

I'm not a big beef fan purely because I don't always like the taste however when it's fresh and well prepared it always tends to taste fantastic. Unfortunately I only find my mother and my aunts create the best beef dishes so I tend to only eat it when they cook!

However this is a dish I cook for myself and the other half and we both really enjoy it. It's easy to make, full of flavour and all the ingredients are readily available in supermarkets which is great!

Ingredients:-

2 x 425 g cans peeled tomatoes or 750 g fresh tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
2 - 3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
4 thin sirloin or rump steaks
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
fresh herbs, to garnish (optional)

Method:-

1. If using canned tomatoes, puree them in a food processor, then sieve to remove the seeds. If using fresh tomatoes, peel, remove the seeds and chop finely.

2. Heat half the oil in a pan and fry the garlic and onions very gently until soft - about 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, seasoning, tomato puree and chopped herbs to the pan. If using fresh tomatoes add 4 tablespoons water too, and then simmer very gently for 8-10 minutes, giving an occasional stir.

4. Meanwhile, trim the steaks if necessary and season with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the steaks quickly on both sides to seal, then continue until cooked to your liking - 2 minutes for rare, 3 - 4 minutes for medium, or 5 minutes for well done. Alternatively, cook the steaks under a hot grill after brushing lightly with oil.

5. When the sauce has thickened a little, adjust the seasoning and stir in the chopped parsley and sugar.

6. Pour off the excess fat from the pan with the steaks and add the tomato sauce. Reheat gently and serve at once, with the sauce spooned over and around the steaks.

7. Garnish with fresh herbs, if liked.

This is such an easy to dish to make, ideal for work day where when you get home you don't particuarly want to spend hours cooking! It's so easy to put together and it satisfies the very hungry!

Ideal side dishes to go with this is garlic potatoes (roasted if you can as they are fantastic) and a green vegetable such as spinach or broccoli, you want a light vegetable as the meat is quite heavy so tend to avoid kale and dark cabbages.

If you can get the freshest steaks as they seem to have alot more taste than one's that have been in the packet for a while. A butcher is ideal but for convenience I know Sainsbury's does a good steak!!

You can always swap the beef for chicken (it goes really well) or even pork chops! Veal is often used in Italy so you could always have that if you prefer.

Hope you enjoy!

Summary: A great work night dish!