Hearty Cajun Stuffed Steak

Several years ago, my roommates were having several friends over. I wasn’t going to be a part of the festivities, so I volunteered to cook the dinner. The spread was moderately impressive – I suppose that was my very first dinner party. I managed corn on the cob, a salad, some mashed potatoes, and this delectable morsel – which I found in the recipe cards I had mentioned just yesterday.

Hearty Cajun Stuffed Steak

Serves 4

1 pound beef top round steak (or any good thin cut of steak)
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
½ pound bulk pork sausage
½ cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package (10-ounces) frozen spinach, chopped, thawed, and squeezed dry
1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dry mustard
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten.

Pound the steak into a ¼ inch rectangle. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Soak 12 wooden toothpicks in water.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and garlic. Cook until sausage is brown and crumbly (about 10 minutes). Drain. Preheat grill.

Add spinach, bread crumbs, Parmesan, mustard, salt and egg to skillet. Mix well.

Spread filling over the steak. Roll the steak, jelly-roll style, to enclose the filling. Secure with toothpicks. Grill steak over low flames, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes for medium doneness.

Notes from the Hare

The bread crumbs can be replaced with any sort of crushed dry bread – croutons, crackers, or stuffing mix would work well. To crush them faster, run them through the food processor or blender for a few minutes.

If you don’t have a grill (or don’t want to use it), you can brown the steak on the stove in a skillet heated over medium heat, turning the steak as you go. Once it’s nice and brown, you can bake in a covered dish for about 45 minutes. The gas grill that my roommate had actually ran out of gas before the steak was completely cooked, so I had to finish it off in the oven

If you plan on cooking this in the oven, you can secure it with the toothpicks as above, or tie the steak with string if you prefer.