Francesinha and Picasso

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INGREDIENTS – STEAK AND SAUSAGE

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¾ pound flank steak or flap steak

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

2 linguica or andouille sausages

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INGREDIENTS – SAUCE

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1½ tablespoons butter (½ tablespoon more later)

½ teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced onion

¾ teaspoon piri piri or red pepper flakes

¼ cup beef broth

6 tablespoons  crushed tomatoes

¼ cup beer

½ tablespoon port or red wine

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INGREDIENTS – FINAL

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4 slices bread

1 cup frozen French fries

½ tablespoon butter

1 egg

4 slices (about 1 ounce each) Pecorino, Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, or your favorite cheese

4 slices ham, sliced medium thick

 

Serves 4. Takes 1 hour.

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PREPARATION – STEAK AND SAUSAGE

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Cut sausages in half lengthwise. Toast bread. Add oil to pan. Heat using medium-high heat. Oil is hot enough when a bit of bread in the oil starts to dance. Add flank steak. Sauté for 2-to-5 minutes, depending on how you like your steak. Flip. Sauté for 2-to-5 minutes more. It should be browned on both sides. Remove steak and cut in half, and set aside.

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Add sausage halves to pan. Sauté for 2 minutes. Flip. Sauté for 2 minutes more. It should be browned a little on both sides. Remove sausage halves and set aside.

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PREPARATION – SAUCE

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Add 1½ tablespoons butter, garlic, and onion to large, 2nd  pan. Sauté at medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Stir frequently. Add beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and piri piri flakes. Bring to boil. Stir occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add beer and wine. Let simmer on low for 12 minutes. Stir occasionally.

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PREPARATION – FINAL

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While sauce simmers, cook French fries according to instrustions on package Melt ½ table-spoon butter at medium heat in 3rd pan. Add egg and fry until done to your liking. Cut egg in half.

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Top bread slice with 2 cheese slices. Top cheese with ½ of the ham. Place steak half on ham. Place 2 sausage halves on steak. Place bread slice on sausage. Put egg half on top slice of bread. Cut sandwich in half. Ladle sauce over sandwich halves. Repeat for 2nd sandwich. Serve with fries on the side..

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TIDBITS

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1) Pablo Picasso was born in 1881. He was a great painter. The best. He earned the moniker the “The Big Man of Painting.” His friends called him Big Bad Pablo, or simply Big Bad.

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2) Culinary art historians credit Picasso with founding the Cubist Movement in 1870.

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3) Since 1870 was a full eleven years before Big Bad’s birth, I’m sure you will agree this was quite the achievement.

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4) Observers, some sane and some not,. hold that the Cubist Movement inspired the creation of the sugar cube, Rubik’s(tm) cube, and the car called the Cube(tm).

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5) Oh, and cube roots The cube root of 343 is 7.

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6) To the right is one of Picasso’s most famous paintings. It sold for 13.5 pounds.

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7) Oops, that’s 13.5 millions pounds. Editors are important.

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8) However, Pablo’s best painting is the still life, “Francesinha,” painted during his Portugese years. Francesinha is a Portuguese sandwich. Big Bad loved it. That’s why he moved to Portugal for six years. You can see the painting below and to the right

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9) I have never have made it as big as Picasso in the art world*. However, I’m proud of my recipes, food blogs, and cookbooks. And it’s all because his “Francesinha” spurred me to take up cooking.

* = As of press time.

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10) Picasso’s first name, Pablo, translates to Paul in English. Paul is my first name. So, that’s another connection between the renowned artist and me.

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11) For more information on Picasso’s life and artistic influence, you would do well to purchase a copy of Asa Metrics’, Pablo Picasso, A Life Lived from Birth to Death.

 

– Paul De Lancey, The Comic Chef, Ph.D.