BLESSED FLANK STEAK:

SMOTHERED STEAK SANDWICHES: Excerpted from The Way We Cook: Recipes from the New American Kitchen by Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven. (Lynne Rossetto Kasper, June 1, 2004, The Splendid Table)

Serves 6

* 1 flank steak (1 1/2 pounds), or one 1 1/2-2 pound skirt steak
* Olive oil, for sprinkling
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 large Spanish onions, thinly sliced
* 1 cup (8 ounces) canned tomato sauce
* 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 2 long French baguettes

1. Turn on the broiler. Place the flank steak in a broiling pan. With the tip of a parking knife, score the steak in a very shallow crosshatch pattern on both sides. Sprinkle the steak with oil, salt,
and pepper.

2. Broil the meat about 8 inches from the element for 5 to 8 minutes, turning it and seasoning the other side with oil, salt, and pepper halfway through cooking. The meat should be quite pink or rare, if you prefer that when it's done.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil and cook the onions over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until they soften. Then stir in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

4. Slice the baguettes into thirds and open each one to make a sandwich.

5. When the meat is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and slice it on an extreme diagonal. Tip all the juices on the board into the tomato sauce and stir.

6. Set a bottom piece of bread on each of six dinner plates, add some steak slices, then some of the tomato sauce. Set the sandwich tops on the sauce and serve.