America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Steak Pizzaiola

By Alli Berkey

Published on April 25, 2018

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Steak Pizzaiola

Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes Salt and pepper 4 (6- to 8-ounce) beef blade steak, 1 inch thick, trimmed½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Before You Begin

Though we prefer less-expensive blade steaks, strip steaks of the same size also work here. King Oscar Anchovies Flat Fillets in Olive Oil are our favorite.

Instructions

  1. Drain tomatoes in colander set over bowl; reserve ½ cup liquid and discard remaining liquid. Pulse tomatoes, reserved liquid, pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until chopped, about 7 pulses. Set aside.
  2. Sandwich each steak between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound ¼ inch thick. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place flour in shallow dish. Lightly dredge each steak in flour, shaking off excess, and transfer to plate.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 2 steaks and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Return steaks to plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and repeat with remaining 2 steaks.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, anchovies, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet. Cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato mixture and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring often, until sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add steaks to sauce and cook until tender and just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer steaks to platter. Stir basil into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over steaks. Serve.
Steak Pizzaiola
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Steak Pizzaiola

Save

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) beef blade steak, 1 inch thick, trimmed
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) beef blade steak, 1 inch thick, trimmed
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) beef blade steak, 1 inch thick, trimmed
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Tender steak bathed in a garlicky tomato sauce sounds pretty good, right? The dish is called steak pizzaiola (“pizza maker's steak”), and it's a staple of old-school Italian American restaurants. We tried many recipes, and the results were all over the place. For our version, we were after steak that tasted like it had been cooked in the sauce to marry the flavors—good steak pizzaiola is more than just the sum of its parts. Draining canned whole peeled tomatoes of their liquid before using them helped mitigate the watery flavor canned tomatoes can sometimes have. Quickly dredging the steaks in flour before searing gave the exterior of the meat a velvety layer that helped the steaks hold on to the sauce. Adding the steaks back to a quick-simmered sauce to finish cooking tenderized them without turning them tough.

Before You Begin

Though we prefer less-expensive blade steaks, strip steaks of the same size also work here. King Oscar Anchovies Flat Fillets in Olive Oil are our favorite.

Instructions

  1. Drain tomatoes in colander set over bowl; reserve ½ cup liquid and discard remaining liquid. Pulse tomatoes, reserved liquid, pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until chopped, about 7 pulses. Set aside.
  2. Sandwich each steak between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound ¼ inch thick. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place flour in shallow dish. Lightly dredge each steak in flour, shaking off excess, and transfer to plate.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 2 steaks and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Return steaks to plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and repeat with remaining 2 steaks.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, anchovies, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet. Cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato mixture and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring often, until sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add steaks to sauce and cook until tender and just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer steaks to platter. Stir basil into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over steaks. Serve.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

Keep Exploring

This is a members' feature.