Philly Steak Sandwiches

It's rare that I make steak, so if I'm going to take the time to make it I want it to be good. Juicy. Delicious. And worth my time. I was craving Philly steak sandwiches the other day and decided to whip these up. They turned out fantastic. I topped mine with some homemade pickled peppers that my sister brought me and in my own humble opinion it made them even better. Yum.


Philly Steak Sandwiches
makes 4 sandwiches

1 lb. good quality steak
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 Tb. vegetable oil
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tb. soy sauce
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Anaheim pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced (optional, if you want it spicier)

4 hoagie rolls
1 cup sliced sharp white cheddar cheese

1. Combine spices. Rub evenly into steak. Grill over medium-high heat until medium (140 degrees F on thermometer), about 8-10 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Remove steak from grill, set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers. Saute for 5 minutes. Slice steak thinly on the bias. Add to skillet, along with barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2-3 more minutes, until heated through.
3. Fill hoagie rolls with steak/pepper mixture. Top with cheese. Enjoy!

Asian Inspired Pâté Sandwiches (The Cyclo Special)

I have something of an obsession with Vietnamese Bánh mì sandwiches (like the ones served at Dew in Provo, I will pimp this place any chance I can get). In fact, I'm craving on right this very minute (about 1:30 am). But I'm also cheap and pretty lazy. So I don't usually feel like going out and buying special ingredients, or even a sandwich. So when I had leftover pâté (which is a fairly common ingredient in the sandwiches) in the fridge from New Year's I took it as an opportunity to make my own lazy man's recipe for Bánh mì. I only used ingredients that I had on hand, which I'll admit are somewhat more eclectic than some people (I do love the Asian food after all), but none of them are especially weird.

The Cyclo Special:
I don't have a clue how many it serves

Ingredients:
pâté de campagne cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (check the recipe here for help on this)
bread, toasted (a baguette is even better if you've got it)
cucumbers, thinly sliced
onions, thinly sliced into rings
fresh cilantro
mayo
dijon mustard
fish sauce (if you don't have this, it should be easy to find in an supermarket's Asian section)
vinegar (I used apple cider, but really whatever you prefer works)
hot sauce
salt and pepper

Directions-
1. First things first, you want to make a dijonaise. Mix together the mayo, dijon mustard and some fish sauce in a small bowl. I did about a 50/50 mix between the mayo and mustard with just a couple drops of fish sauce. But that may be a little mustardy for some, so adjust accordingly. Set aside.
2. Put in the sliced cucumbers and onions in a bowl, covering them with vinegar a little fish sauce and just a dash of hot sauce. You want to get just a lightly pickled taste on them. It may sound odd now, but you'll thank me later.
3. Fry the pâté in a skillet over medium-low heat. You shouldn't need any oil or anything, it's super fatty as it is. You're just trying to get both sides brown and a little crunchy.
4. Put together the sandwich with the bread, dijonaise, pâté, cucumbers and onions (drained) and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It's a really simple recipe, and not completely authentic, but very, very tasty. Even for those that don't like pâté. I highly recommend it. If you don't want to go to the trouble of making a pâté, you could probably just cook some pork and bacon to substitute. I haven't tried it, but in theory it sound good.

My Favorite Wrap

I love anything that's like a sandwich. Wraps. Paninis. Hoagie sandwiches. Cracker sandwiches. Pitas. They're all great in my book. This is my all-time favorite wrap, a turkey cranberry wrap. Yum!

Turkey Cranberry Wrap

1 wrap (I used Sun-dried Tomato flavor) or whole wheat tortilla
1/8 lb. deli-sliced turkey
1 slice Havarti cheese (or substitute provolone, Swiss, or Muenster)
1 Tb. chive and onion cream cheese
3 - 4 Tb. jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup fresh spinach, washed and dried
tomato, thinly sliced (to taste)
red onion, thinly sliced (to taste)

Spread cream cheese in thin layer down center of wrap. Top with cranberry sauce. Layer with turkey, cheese, tomato, onion, and spinach. Wrap tightly, slice diagonally, and serve. I had mine with homemade sweet potato fries and strawberries to round out the meal.