Tuesday, December 6, 2011

what to do with leftover flank steak . . . the best French Dips EVER!

You know, it's kind of funny that I have posted about leftovers now a couple of times because we really aren't a leftovers kind of family. Cooking is relaxing to me, and if I don't do it at night, unless I'm completely stressed, busy or sick, it feels as though a huge part of my day is missing. But, we also end up throwing a ton of leftovers away, and we are trying to be more conscious of what we can do with the mystery meat in the tin foil . . .

Flank steak is one of my favorites, for one because I LOVE steak probably more than any one food out there, and because it's quite lean. When we grill a flank steak, we marinade it in worcestershire sauce and Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning (sounds boring, but it's delish!). Joe grills it for maybe 7 minutes each side so it's nice and medium-rare in the middle. Because they are so big, unless we have company, we always have at least half of a slab leftover. Joe mentioned making French Dips, since it's so hard to throw away a good piece of meat, ya know? We have made French Dips plenty, but something about last night's rang true to us, and we decided they were blog worthy. Here's how we do it:

The MoJoe's French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients

Leftover flank steak (or ribeye, or deli roast beef if making without leftovers)
About 2 cups of prepared Au Jus sauce (we buy Johnny's)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced thin
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Provolone cheese
Steak rolls
Garlic Mayonnaise (press 1 garlic clove through a press into about 2 tablespoons of good mayo)

Directions

Get your Au Jus sauce to a gentle simmer and toss in the meat just long enough to heat through (you don't want them in too long or the heat will cook the meat too much). Meanwhile, saute your fresh mushrooms and onion in about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the fresh garlic, salt and pepper to taste, cook until onions are soft and you have the texture you want. Prepare your garlic mayonnaise and set off to the side. Split your buns and broil them until just lightly toasted. Add your steak first, then mushrooms and onion, and then take one piece of provolone cheese, torn in half, and place on top. Place under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until cheese is just melted. On the other bun, spread the garlic mayonnaise evenly. Spoon the leftover Au Jus sauce into a wide enough bowl for dipping, and enjoy!

We realized last night the garlic mayonnaise is a HUGE part of what makes this taste so delicious. It is just a wonderful flavor to complement the bread, meat and Au Jus. We usually serve these with homemade french fries and an easy vegetable side for me.

So go get yourself a flank and enjoy two nights of amazingness! Enjoy!