Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich is a recipe appearing in The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.

Official Description
Marlboro Man loves this sandwich. He invented it (well, I helped a little) and I make it for heads of state, dignitaries, kings, queens, and world leaders whenever they stop by our homestead on their way to a rodeo. Cowboys, too - they love it.

(Just kidding about the whole heads-of-state thing - none of those numbskulls could ever find our little house anyway!)

The point is, every man I know, with the exception of strict vegans (and even some of those have come around), loves this sandwich. It uses very simple ingredients and is so incredibly rich and satisying that a man will forgo food for weeks (okay, hours) if he knows one is on the horizon. Just try it out - make it for a group of hungry guys and you'll see what I mean. Eyes will roll back in heads. Engagement rings will be thrown your way. You'll be carried on a litter the rest of your life. Love songs will be composed. Sonnets written.

Recipe

 * 1 large onion or 2 small/medium onions
 * Butter, lots of it
 * 2 or 3 pounds cube steak
 * Seasoned salt, preferably Lawry's
 * Lemon pepper
 * Black pepper
 * Worcestershire sauce
 * Tobasco
 * 4 French or deli rolls

Start by slicing the onion.

Next, melt 1/4 stick butter in a skillet over medium heat. This is not the last you'll see of the butter, mark my words.

Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and light brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the onion from the pan and set aside.

This is know as cube steak. Cube steak is tenderized round steak that's been extra tenderized by the butcher.

Cut each piece against the grain into 1-inch strips.

Now season the meat with a nice sprinkling of seasoned salt, lemon pepper, and black pepper.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet in which you cooked the onion. Turn the heat to high. Let the butter begin to turn brown, about 2 minutes. You'll want the skillet to be hot.

Now add enough meat to the hot skillet to form a single layer. Do not stir. Let it sit for about a minute, or long enough for one side to turn brown. Then, using a spatula, flip the meat over. Cook for another minute, then remove to plate.

Repeat until all the meat is cooked.

Return all the meat to the skillet and add the cooked onion. Pour in Worcestershire sauce, several dashes of Tobasco (according to taste), and an additional 2 tablespoons of butter. Simmer the mixture over low heat for about 5 minutes to thoroughly warm.

Cut each roll in half lengthwise. Spread generously with butter, then brown on a griddle or skillet.

Place the rolls face up on a plate, then place the meat mixture on the bottom half. Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of the pan juices over the top. This will keep the meat moist and seep into the bread, which makes for an utterly decadent sandwich. It will also require you to walk 132 miles to burn all the calories.

Top with the other half of the roll and serve with a crunchy green salad. You're about to make someone really happy.

Variations

If I weren't married to a straight-up meat-and-potatoes rancher, I would probably cook a bunch of slices of mushrooms with the onions. I'd add a little sherry to the meat mixture. And I'd melt a little sliced mozzarella on the top. But that's just me. Truth is, you could play around with this sandwich as much as you'd like: different veggies, different seasonings (thyme, fresh garlic, and so on), or different cheeses. Go play!

Oh. One more thing. If you're looking to shrink your waistline, you might want to steer clear of this sandwich.