Bistecca Alla Pizzaiola-{Steak Pizzaiola}

You're probably wondering what the heck is a Steak Pizzaiola...when pizza has nothing to do with this dish, paired with steak. A little history on this hearty and delicious dish that was so popular in Italian-American homes in the seventies and eighties. I've often made this dish as well, for my family, but have made the steak totally different, using a cheaper cut of beef, pounding the meat thin, sautéing  it, and braising it, smothering the steak with the cooked tomato sauce, along with the onions, garlic, and peppers. This was the only way that was prepared, not using the better cut of the beef...such as N.Y. strip or T-bone, that would also be smothered in the sauce at the end.

Actually there really wasn't a real recipe for the Steak Pizzaiola back then...we just cooked great foods from 'handy-me-down' word of mouth and wrote it down; but the basic ingredients are whole tomatoes, (I switched it to diced) pepperoncini (the Italian pickled peppers which I skipped)...and/or bell peppers red-yellow-orange, sweet onions sliced, and garlic sliced. You can also add sliced mushrooms which goes great with the addition of the other vegetables. In my opinions, of mozzarella cheese would be added...then I would think of it as a pizzaiola sauce.

The originality of this dish started out in Naples, Italy, just like the pizza originates from Naples, as far back as the late 1800's.
All you need with this hearty dish is a nice loaf of crusty bread to mop up the sauce and enjoy those perfectly sautéed vegetables. To me, having a more up-to-date presentation makes this dish more appetizing, and attractive as well!

Bistecca Alla Pizzaiola-{Steak Pizzaiola}
recipe by; Elisabeth

1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper
cored, seeded and sliced into strips
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 med. sweet onion sliced thin
3 cloves of garlic sliced thin
2 cups white button mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-14 ounce diced canned tomato
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup water
1 or 2 N.Y. strip, rib-eye, or T-bone steak

In a large skillet, heat the oil until it sizzles on med-high heat. Add the garlic slices, and the onion slices sautéing them until they sizzle. Add the bell peppers, and the oregano at this time, to infuse the flavor. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the mushroom slices and sauté for about a few minutes. Add the 1/2 cup of water and cook for about another  10 minutes.

Now you can add the diced tomatoes (I added spicy red pepper) you can add crushed red pepper if you don't find this type, or omit the red pepper if you don't want it spicy!

Add the tomatoes to the skillet, and add the 1/2 cup of red wine. You can add about 1/2 of the water to the can, swish it and add that as well.

(you can omit the wine, and add more water 1/2 cup extra)


Bring the sauce with the vegetables to a simmer
and cook for another 15 minutes, until the pepper get soft and the sauce thickens. Set it aside, and keep it warm.








Season the steak (s) with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet, or a grill pan, and sear the steaks over high heat, covering it if it lets out too much
smoke. I seared mine for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium, but you can sear it 2 minutes for rare, or about 5 minutes on each side for medium-well.

Let the steak rest for a few minutes before slicing it thin, across the grain, or leaving it whole.

To Serve:
You can pile the sauce and peppers on top (the old fashioned way...or gently place the slices of the steak on top of the sauce and vegetables.
Crusty bread makes it even better, or you can cook some rice to serve as a full course, along with some salad greens...yumm!
Serve while it's hot!