Food on Fridays: Pepper Steak

As promised on my Menu Plan Monday post on my other blog, I actually measured while I made this meal, so that I could share it here on my recipe blog.

My mom made Pepper Steak a lot when I was a kid. I liked the gravy and the meat and the rice. I picked out the peppers and onions. What did I know? I was a picky eater...THEN. Now that I am older and cook for my husband and myself, I use peppers and onions in a lot of my dishes.

Also, I make my pepper steak a bit different than my mom. My dad likes his food pretty basic and more traditional, so my mom doesn't really add a lot of different things to her dishes.

But after watching Food Network for so many years, I like to spice things up a bit! Don't get me wrong, I am in no way saying I am a chef or anything, I just grew to love food and have been starting to try new things where cooking (and eating) is concerned. And we LOVE spices!

Since I rarely measure anything while making this dish, it never turns out the same way twice. But after making it tonight and measuring and writing it down, I think that tonight's result will be a keeper!

Alison's Pepper Steak

Ingredients

• 1 lb. London Broil, diced in small cubes
• 1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 heaping tsp. garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 Tbs. A-1 Steak Sauce
• 2 1/2 Tbs. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbs. McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 can tomatoes (14 1/2 oz), diced or stewed
• 2 Tbs. McCormick Brown Gravy Powder
• 2 cups water
• 1 can (14 1/2 0z) corn (optional)
• cooked rice, brown or white

Directions

• In a skillet or dutch oven, brown steak cubes in hot oil.
• Add steak sauce, worcestershire sauce, peppers, onions, garlic and steak seasoning, salt & pepper.
• Cook for about 15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomatoes, cover and reduce heat to low.
• Cook for 25-30 minutes, meat should be really tender by now.
• Mix water with gravy powder, making sure to get all lumps out.
• Add gravy to pot and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until gravy is heated.
• Serve over rice, with corn on the side.

Although, I altered the way my mom made this, some things remain the same. Mom always added tomatoes to her pepper steak and I really like them in mine as well.

She also always used powdered brown gravy mix in the packets. I've been having a difficult time finding the 2 cup packets in my small town. But I did find a bulk container of the McCormick's brown gravy powder mix! I love it! Very inexpensive at Costco and I just know that I will get several meals from the one container of gravy mix!

My mom always served corn on the side and used white rice. I still use the white rice, but after noticing that both of us would just put the corn on top of the steak and rice, I started to just add the corn right to the pot after I add the gravy. One less pot or microwave-safe bowl to clean at the end of the meal!

Now you may want to be easy on the Montreal Seasoning if you have kids or someone that can't handle spice. It's not terribly hot, just a bit of a zing! Kids may be sensitive to it. I suggest maybe trying a tablespoon less of the seasoning and taste test it before adding the full amount.

This recipe is also being shared on the Food On Fridays blog carnival. Food on Friday is an anything-food-related-carnival hosted by Ann Kroeker. To read more food related posts, be sure to check it out!