Man Meal | Cracked Pepper Steak

Awhile back, I decided, in a rush, that I was going to throw together Rachael Ray's Tomato and Vidalia Onion Salad with Steak Sauce Dressing. I made the dressing (my way, as always), and then lost all urge to eat a salad composed of, well, tomatoes and onions. I'm sure it's absolutely delicious - Rachael has long haunted my recipe book collection, and overall, I've been quite happy with what I've tried from her books - but I just wasn't in the mood.

Of course, I saved the sauce until I found my own purpose for it. And that purpose: a sale on sirloin cuts. Oh yeah.

Marinate these babies in the sauce overnight, toss them on the grill (we did ours in the skillet since it was one of Raleigh's five annual cold nights), and you're good-to-go. A little extra sauce to dip in on the side and wham. Tastetastic.

Cracked Pepper Steak
Yield | 4 servings

Prep Time | 15 minutes, plus at least 1 hour to chill
Cook Time | 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

4 sirloin steaks (I'm sure other cuts will be just fine!)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon black pepper, ground
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons EVOO, plus 2 tablespoons for the pan
Dash hot sauce (as always, we use Franks)

Basically homemade barbeque sauce with a kick. Delicious!

Salt, to taste

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add vinegar, sugar, Worchestershire sauce, and pepper. Let mixture start to bubble and remove from heat. Add tomato sauce, garlic, and olive oil; let cool.

Marinate steaks for at least 1 hour, the longer the better - we did ours overnight and they turned out fantastic.

If you're grilling, heat grill on high and go for it. Because it was raining, we were trapped inside, so heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons EVOO on high heat.

Sear both sides of steak and reduce heat to medium. Cook to preferred temperature.

I don't know if I will ever use the dressing on vegetables, it was just too good on steak!

Boyfriend-approved. Me-approved, and I'm not even a big red meat-eater. Give it a shot, I guarantee you'll love it! And try the sauce on chicken, veggies, shrimp, you name it - it's great grilled, baked, whatever!

Coming soon... Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dressing, Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies, Stuffed Peppers, and Jerk-Style Chicken Drumsticks... can't wait!