Steak Subs

Ingredients:
1 lb very thin london broil or flank steak

marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
fresh ground pepper

Toppings:
lettuce
tomato
mushrooms
onions
hot peppers
rolls


Directions:

Combine all of ingredients for the marninade in a ziplock bag. Add the meat, seal and marinate for 2 hours. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms and set aside. To caramelize onions: heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add onions and saute about 20 minutes or until they are brown and translucent. Add mushrooms to the mushrooms towards the end if desired. Remove the onions/mushrooms to a bowl and fry the steak in the same pan you cooked the onions in, until no longer pink, adding a bit of olive oil if needed. Assemble your cold toppings on the homemade rolls. I like to create a barrier for the meat by lining one side with tomato, and a thin layer of mayo on the other, which keeps the sandwich from getting soggy*.

and top with the steak and then the onions/mushrooms. Serve very hot and with lots of napkins.


*I like to be very scientific when it comes to my sandwich making. You should see my BLTs.

My thoughts:

Growing up in Baltimore, I called these types of sandwiches subs. My husband, growing up in NYC called them heroes. In New England, they call them grinders. New Orleans natives call similar sandwiches po' boys. Some old fashioned terms for the sandwich are submarine (where my term, sub comes from), torpedo, wedge, cosmos and zep (as in zeppelin). My favorite kind of sub is the cheesesteak but I don't use the icky Cheez Whiz that is required for a truly authentic Philly-style cheesesteak. The rare times we get get takeout subs, I generally get provolone, but at home I use very thin slices of extra sharp cheddar. My favorite toppings are caramelized onions, mushrooms and thinly sliced tomatoes but no lettuce. Lettuce gets a bit wilted and soggy from the heat of the steak and if you are eating out, it is generally just shredded iceberg anyway. While I enjoy the occasional takeout sub, the ones you make at home are so much better, less greasy, much better steak and crispier rolls.