July 6: Steak Sandwich... Knife and Fork Required

1 sheet of puff pastry, defrosted, kept chilled (recommended brand: Pepperidge Farm)
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef skirt steaks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1 small bunch of thin asparagus
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 large bunch of arugula, stemmed, cleaned, and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill on high.

With a sharp knife, cut the  thawed but chilled puff pastry sheet into 4 squares, arrange on a cookie sheet, and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Bake the puff pastry according to package directions, or until golden brown all over, about 12 to 15 minutes.

While the puff pastry is baking, season the skirt steaks with the 2 tablespoons of EVOO, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Grill the meat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Remove the meat and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.

While the steak is cooking, trim the woody ends off the asparagus. Drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. As soon as the steaks are off the grill and resting, add the asparagus to the grill.

Grill the spears, turning frequently, until the asparagus is tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the asparagus from the grill and cut into 2-inch lengths.

In a bowl, toss together the grilled chopped asparagus, crumbled blue cheese, and chopped arugula. Season the mixture with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Slice the steak thinly across the grain. Top each golden-brown puff pastry square with some slices off steak. Top the steak with the asparagus salad and serve.

4 SERVINGS

I made this meal at my sister-in-law's house. She let me use her kitchen to cook in. I used dried rosemary instead of fresh, and I put the skirt steak in an iron skillet instead of on a grill. We added corn to the sandwich. My girls liked the corn-on-the-cob. The sandwich was pretty good, but my problem was that it was so long, I couldn't slice it against the grain, so I sliced it with the grain and it turned out very tough. The rest of it was great.