Bistecca alla Pizzaiola

PAN-BROILED STEAK WITH TOMATOES AND GARLIC

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 Cups peeled, seeded and coarsely
chopped fresh tomatoes (about
1 ½ pounds)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A 3-pound T-bone, porterhouse or
sirloin, cut 1 inch thick

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-sized skillet or saucepan until
a light haze forms over it. Remove the pan from the heat, add the garlic
and, with a spoon, turn it about in the oil for about 30 seconds. Add the
tomatoes, oregano, salt and a few grindings of pepper and cook over mod-
erate heat, stirring frequently. In about 5 minutes most of the liquid from
the tomatoes will have boiled away. Remove the pan from the heat.
In a heavy 12- to 14-inch skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive
oil, again until a light haze forms over it. Over high heat, brown the steak
in the oil for 1 or 2 minutes on each side, turning it with kitchen tongs,
then lower the heat to moderate and spoon the tomato sauce over and
around the meat. Cover and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the steak is
done to your taste. (Test by pressing it with a finger-when the steak is
slightly resilient, neither soft nor firm, it is medium rare-or you can make
a small incision near the bone with the tip of a sharp knife and judge by
the redness of the meat.)
To serve, scrape the tomato sauce off the top of the steak into the skillet
and transfer the steak to a carving board. Simmer the sauce left in the skillet
for 1 or 2 minutes, scraping in any browned bits of meat and sauce cling-
ing to the bottom of the pan. Taste for seasoning. Carve the steak, arrange
the slices on a heated platter and moisten each slice with a little sauce.