My dad was the unusual male who didn’t like to grill—he was a cast-iron fryer—so I became the family griller as soon as I was old enough; except for the three or four times a year when Peter makes burgers, I still am. This buttery, tangy, grilled steak sandwich—a favorite of my mother’s—is supereasy, and it was one of my first specialties.

　　

Ingredients

serves 2 to 4

　　Two 1-pound New York strip steaks, about 1 1/2 inches thick

　　1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

　　2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

　　Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

　　4 slices Italian or French bread, sliced in half horizontally, then in half again diagonally and crosswise

　　4 to 6 lettuce leaves

　　1 tomato, cored and sliced

　　

Step 1

Place the steaks in a shallow dish with the Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and vinegar. Rub the marinade into the meat and sprinkle the rosemary and pepper to taste over both sides of each steak, pressing lightly so the seasonings adhere. Turn the steaks several times in the marinade to evenly coat and marinate until the meat comes to room temperature.

　　

Step 2

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill and let the coals burn to gray ash with a bright red glow (see Know-how, page 151). If using a gas grill, heat the grill on high.

　　

Step 3

Season the steaks with salt, place on the grill, and cook, turning only once, for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes more for medium, or until they reach the desired doneness. Remove the steaks from the grill and let rest, loosely covered, for about 5 minutes before serving.

　　

Step 4

While the steaks are cooking, heat the butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted and the garlic starts to release its aroma. While the steaks are resting, brush the bread slices with the garlic butter and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until lightly toasted.

　　

Step 5

Cut the steaks into slices, cutting across the grain. Pile the meat on top of the toasted garlic bread, top with lettuce and tomato, and serve warm.

　　

On the Side

Step 6

Crispy Fried Vidalia Onion Rings (page 246) add a festive touch, while Mixed Bean Salad with Herb Vinaigrette (page 262) balances the plate with a pop of color and fresh flavor. To stay out of the kitchen altogether, serve with Farm-stand Grilled Vegetable Skewers with Pesto Vinaigrette (page 243).

　　

Know-how: Grilling Steak

Step 7

The key to grilling steak is to start with a scorching hot grill so the steak is quickly seared, allowing it to form a nice crust on the outside and stay good and juicy on the inside.

　　

Step 8

Test whether the grill is hot enough to sear the steak by placing your hand 6 inches above the coals; you should be able to hold your hand there for only 1 or 2 seconds.

　　

Step 9

Cook the steak on the hottest part of the grill, directly over the fire.

　　

Step 10

Do not move or flip the steak any more than necessary, as this will prevent it from searing.

　　

Step 11

Remove the meat from the grill just before it reaches the desired doneness; its temperature will continue to rise another 5 to 10 degrees once the meat is off the fire.

　　

Step 12

Rather than cutting into the steak, which causes all the flavorful juices to run out, learn to judge the steak’s doneness based on the way it looks and feels when you touch it with your thumb. Rare steak is jiggly and fleshy; medium-rare is less fleshy but still a little jiggly, and well-done steak feels firm and muscular.

　　

Step 13

If you aren’t yet confident in your ability to test doneness this way, insert an internal thermometer in the steak and remove the steak from the grill when it reads 110°F to 115°F for rare, 120°F to 125°F for medium-rare, and 130°F to 135°F for medium.

　　

Step 14

Always let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes, loosely covered. This seals in the juices so they don’t run out when you cut into it.

　　

Step 15

For more grilling basics, see Know-how on page 151.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.