Steak Panini with Horseradish Mayo

What a boring photo.... really... this doesn't do it justice, I mean by the looks of this photo the cheese and horseradish mayo doesn't even look like the melty, gooey, amazing, mess they were.  Geesh... someone better tell this photographer to get off her bum and take a food styling, or photo class pronto.  What's that?  Oh she said she would get right on that after changing her two year olds daycare, helping her teenager, and creating a new baby in unbearable heat, while finishing her Masters degree.  Sorry... did that sound like I am feeling sorry for myself?  It did?  Oh good just the sentiment I was trying to portray. 

That's right.... this photo looks  uninspired, becasue it's hard to be inspired when you feel SICK ALL THE TIME.  Actually maybe I could pull off that my life is drab in the withering heat as it turns everything from green to brown so I left out the green as a symbolism of something or other.  No?  Okay fine, let's move on.

So today is the first day it hasn't been in the high 90s in the remeberable (is that a word?) past but it's so humid I feel like I must bring an oxygen tank to walk to my car.  Really... I'm a Northern girl, I can't wait for August to be done so I can go outside for longer than the time it takes me to sprint from one air conditioned place to the next.  Until then... we will continue to turn out quick and easy meals that require little skill, little heat, and are PERFECT for my core audience that "doesn't cook", or as is more likely doesn't have time to cook.  However, if you happen to be a talented food blogger or chef and have wandered onto this site somehow this is going to taste really, really, good.  Promise.

If you are lucky (like me) you have a father who loves food as much as you do.... and feels really sorry for you and your exiled status in middle American and lack of good ingredients.  Sorry enough that he gave you a jar of this!

Home canned fresh (can you say fresh if it's been canned?)  horseradish!  Oh yeah... that'll open the sinuses on a clouy day.  Or you can used freshly grated horseradish if you are so lucky as to have some available.  I used half this and half that prepared cream horseradish stuff from the grocery store.

Flank Steak Sandwiches
from the binder of recipes with no known origin in my kitchen
Ingredients

1 recipe Horseradish Sauce (see recipe below)
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 
1 teaspoon salt (I used freshly ground)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 large sweet onions, such as Texas 1015 or Vidalia, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 pounds beef flank steak or boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1-inch thick
6 purchased bakery sourdough rolls or 12 slices sourdough bread, toasted if you're  not going to squish it
OR... a loaf of ciabatta

Method

Prepare Horseradish Sauce; cover and chill. In a small bowl combine oregano, coriander, salt, and pepper; set aside. In a 12-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and half (about 2 teaspoons) of the spice mixture. Cook, covered, for 13 to 15 minutes until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes more or until onions are golden. Remove from skillet; set aside. Wipe skillet clean, or not, I didn't bother.

If using flank steak (I used sirloin this time because I was hoping it would make for a less messy sandwich... I was wrong), score meat on both sides by making shallow cuts at 1-inch intervals diagonally across steak in a diamond pattern. Rub steak on both sides with the remaining half of the spice mixture. Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add steak. Cook, uncovered, for 12 to 16 minutes or until meat is medium-rare (145 degree F), turning once. Remove meat from skillet to cutting board; cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes.

Thinly slice steak across the grain.

I have started slicing these a whole lot thinner since this photo was taken

To serve give both sides of cibatta a good smear of horseradish sauce, arrange steak on bottoms of rolls, top with cheese of your choice if you want then onions.  Add roll tops.  Squish in Panini grill if available to melt the cheesy goodness or serve as is.   Makes 6 sandwiches, or 3 sandwiches and enough steak for your child that eats it as steak with a side of bread.  

Horseradish Sauce: In a small bowl stir together 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed.