Tasty, practical, quick, and easy to prepare: steak pizzaiola is one of those versatile recipes that tastefully saves lunch and dinner, with the added bonus of being kid-friendly. A dish of Neapolitan origins with a Mediterranean flavor characterized by the unmistakable aroma of pizza provided by oregano combined with tomato, so much so that "pizzaiola" can be made in a wide variety of variations, from eggs to vegetables, to tofu, and pasta. Like all dishes made with just a few simple ingredients, they need to be chosen and treated with some care: in this case, you need to obtain tender, flavorful meat, avoiding it from toughening. Below are the most common mistakes to note so you don't make them again.
1. Getting the Meat Cut Wrong
For this easy-to-use recipe, you'll need thin slices, between 3 and 5 cm, tender and with little connective tissue, which would make the meat tough and unpleasant to chew. Opt for lean or low-fat cuts such as topside, flank, silverside, round, or rump of veal or beef, which cook in a matter of minutes and remain tender. If you can, for extra freshness, have the butcher portion the meat directly, or slice it from the whole piece at home if you're particularly familiar with meat. If the slices are too thick or uneven, flatten them with a meat tenderizer to make them uniform and tender. You can also prepare this dish with pork, loin steaks, or chicken breast.
2. Underestimating The Tomato Sauce
Another key ingredient is the tomato, which is used to make the sauce. The sauce must be full-bodied and rich. For this reason, the passata or peeled tomatoes must be of good quality – use homemade if you enjoy preserving – and flavored. How? Place a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a whole clove of garlic, either crushed or unpeeled (depending on your taste), a pinch of salt, and a sprinkling of dried oregano in a pan. Let it reduce over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan. How much should you use? The amount of meat and sauce is roughly the same, because the slices must not be submerged: you can add a little more tomato if you're using it the next day to enhance a delicious pasta dish, as a way to recycle.
3. Cooking For Too Long
The meat for pizzaiola, with the cuts we've suggested, doesn't require long cooking. Simply add it to the sauce, mix, and leave it in the pan for a maximum of 5 minutes: tender, lean slices are ready quickly, otherwise they'll start to toughen. The entire cooking process takes about 20-25 minutes. Once you've turned off the heat, let it rest for a few minutes to stabilize the texture and flavors. If you want tastier meat, you can brown it in a pan with oil and garlic beforehand to create a golden crust.
4. Not Personalizing The Sauce
Meat, tomato, oregano, garlic, and oil: pizzaiola-style meat recalls the authenticity and simplicity of a marinara pizza, a base that lends itself to various interpretations. For example, if you like a spicy note, add some dried chili pepper crumbled into the sauce while it cooks, or add flavor with capers and olives (or just one of the two); when you add salt, you can also add freshly ground black pepper. If the word pizzaiola immediately makes you think of mozzarella, then cut the fior di latte into cubes and add it only at the end, allowing it to melt and stretch in the residual heat.
;Resize,width=767;)
