THE COMISKEY BREADED STEAK SANDWICH

The Comiskey Breaded Steak Sandwich image

Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King

Time 50m

Yield 4 sandwiches

Number Of Ingredients 27

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Ingredients

Canola oil, for frying
1 1/2 pounds top sirloin, cut against the grain on the bias into eight 1/8-inch strips or fingers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
3 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/4 cup smoked almonds
1/4 grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 red bell peppers, fire roasted, from a jar
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 shallot, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces gorgonzola dolce, at room temperature
Four 6-inch tomato focaccia rolls, split and toasted (or your favorite focaccia bread)
Homemade Hot Giardiniera, recipe follows (or your favorite oil-packed hot giardiniera), finely chopped
1/4 cup table salt
1 cup small-diced carrots
1 cup tiny cauliflower florets
4 to 8 serrano peppers, sliced (depending on heat level desired)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
2 cups canola oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

For the steak: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Fill a large cast-iron skillet with 1 1/2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steak strips with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, add the flour. In another shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs. In another shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs. Lightly coat both sides of the steak in the flour, then in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
Pan-fry the steaks, however many can fit at a time, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the steaks from the oil and onto a baking sheet lined with a wire rack or paper towels. Season the fried steaks with salt and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest, if need be.
For the roasted red pepper sauce: Combine the almonds, Parmesan, oil, paprika, bell peppers, garlic and shallot in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 15 seconds. Season, and then place into a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes to take away the raw garlic bite and intensify the flavors. Set aside.
For the sandwich build: Schmear some of the gorgonzola on the bottom half of the bread. Place the hot breaded steak on the cheese, then the roasted red pepper sauce and then the giardiniera. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Cut in half and serve with extra red pepper sauce for smothering.
Combine 2 cups water and the salt in a glass or non-reactive bowl. Mix until the salt is dissolved. Add the carrots, cauliflower, serranos, garlic, celery and bell pepper to the salt water and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Day 2, drain and rinse the vegetables. In a clean bowl, mix together the oil with the oregano and pepper. Add the vegetables and mix to combine. Allow to marinate overnight. Giardiniera will only get better with time. After 2 days at the most in the bowl, you can place in air-tight mason jars and keep in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 weeks.