Easy Steak Pizzaiola Made with Flank Steak

This Easy Steak Pizzaiola smothered in a flavorful homemade tomato and onion sauce is absolutely irresistible. This is my version of a classic Italian dish but you will find that it is pretty close to the authentic steak pizzaiola you find in most Italian households. This simple recipe is perfect for a quick but tasty weeknight meal!

Steak Pizzaiola

Pizzaiola simply means that it is cooked pizza style, in a tomato sauce. The recipe is a little different depending on the region of Italy that you come from, but the basic elements are the same.

Pizzaiola originated in Naples many, many years ago when pizza began to become popular. The first pizzas were made with a thin tomato sauce using simple ingredients. The leftover pizza sauce was then used to cook a cheap cut of meat like a chuck roast. What a delicious way to flavor and tenderize meat at the same time.

My mother used to make a delicious steak pizzaiola when we were younger. She cooked a chuck roast or a bone in roast with peeled tomatoes in red wine, onions and cheese. It was delicious but it needed to cook for hours in order for the meat to become tender.

This recipe is much quicker to make since we don’t have to worry about tenderizing the meat. Using tender thinner cuts of meat we can cut the cooking time considerably and create a great meal in minutes rather then hours.

Steak Pizzaiola Ingredients

Sauce ingredients:

I used canned diced tomatoes, sliced yellow onion, garlic, white wine, oregano and basil to make the sauce.

• White wine – any dry white wine will do.
• Oregano and basil – I used dry herbs but if you have fresh herbs available feel free to use them. Dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor then fresh herbs so you will need to double the amount called for in the recipe.

Steak

• Flank steak – I love flank steak because it is:
  • tender, so it cooks quickly,
  • it is flavorful and
  • it feeds multiple people or makes enough for leftovers that can be turned into an amazing steak pizzaiola sandwich the next day! Another good option would be a sirloin steak.

How to make Steak Pizzaiola

While the sauce is simmering, I cook the steak in a cast iron skillet. The whole thing is done in less then half an hour and it is delizioso!

The sauce

1. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat.
2. Add the tomatoes and their liquid or puree to the onion. Cook for a minute.
3. Add the wine to the tomatoes and allow the sauce to come to a boil.
4. Lower the heat and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

The Steak

Season the steak with kosher salt and black pepper.

1. Season the steak with kosher salt and black pepper.
2. Cook the steak:
   • On a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
   • Place the steak into a hot skillet and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes.
   • Turn the steak over and cook for another four minutes for rare.
3. On a grill
   • Grill the steak over medium high heat for 4 minutes per side for rare
   • When the steak is to your liking, remove it to a cutting board let the steak rest for 10 minutes.
4. Slice the steak at an angle across the grain of the meat into thin slices.
5. Place the steak in the sauce and let it cook in the sauce, over medium-low heat, for 2-3 minutes.
6. Transfer the steak to a platter and spoon the sauce on top.

Steak Pizzaiola Variations

• During my research I came across literally hundreds of recipes for pizzaiola that used chicken, pork, veal, steak and fish. So you can take this basic pizzaiola sauce recipe and pair it any way you like.
• If you are looking for a version for your vegetarian friends, make this using eggplant or zucchini! Yum!
• You can spice up the sauce a bit by adding red pepper flakes.

Tips: Steak Cooking Methods and Temperature

Stove Top or Grill

I have made this recipe in a cast iron pan and on the grill. Either way the steak is done in minutes and the searing process adds a lot of flavor to the recipe.

Whether you choose to cook the steak on the grill or in the cast iron pan, if you want the steak to be rare, you will want to cook it for about 4 minutes per side. Since the steak will continue to cook in the sauce, cook it to about 10 degrees below the final temperature you want your steak to be.

Here are the ultimate internal cooking temperatures to help cook the steak exactly to your liking:

Rare: 125 degrees.

Medium rare: 130-135 degrees,

Medium: 140-145 degrees,

Medium well: 150-155%

Well done: 160 degrees.

Slow Cooker

Steak Pizzaiola prepared in a slow cooker is amazing! The meat will simply fall apart because it is so tender from the slow and low cooking process. But if you choose to use this cooking method you should select a larger cut of meat that will benefit from the slow cooking process such as a chuck steak or roast.

• Pan sear the steak until it is just browned on both sides and transfer to your slow cooker.
• Prepare the sauce following the stove top method and pour it over the meat.
• Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
• Season the steak with kosher salt and black pepper.

Steak Pizzaiola FAQ’s:

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Easy Baked Haddock Recipe

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Quick Mussels Steamed in White Wine and Garlic Sauce