It's summertime so get up and get out. Pack up a tasty picnic basket with a Spicy Barbecue Steak Panini. Sounds difficult? Nah, don't' sweat it. Shalene McNeill of the Texas Beef Council visited the Kens 5 studio to show us how to elevate your picnic basket from boring to bold. Recipe below:
Spicy Barbecue Steak Panini with Crispy Onions
- Pre-heat Panini grill to high
Candy/deep-fry thermometer
- Vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
- 2 hoagie buns, split
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4-oz leftover grilled steak, thinly sliced (about 6 slices)
- 2-oz smoked Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup chipotle barbecue sauce
- In a deep, heavy skillet, heat about 2 inches of oil over high heat until it registers 375○F on thermometer
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Add onion and toss to lightly coat, shaking off and discarding excess flour. Carefully transfer onion rings to the hot oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm.
- Place buns, cut side down, on a work surface and brush crusts with butter. Turn buns over and spread mayonnaise over bottom halves. Evenly layer with steak, cheese and 1 cup of fried onions. Drizzle with barbecue sauce. Cover with top halves and press gently to pack.
- Place sandwiches in grill, close the top plate and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately, with the remaining fried onions on the side.
For more recipes, visit www.txbeef.org.
