Venison Sandwiches

A Venison Sandwich With a Side of Grilled Cole Slaw

Back when the husband was just a boyfriend we took a trip to Fort Lauderdale to look at a college he thought might be the grad school for him. We spent one afternoon walking around the campus and checking out the architecture department and the rest of the week sightseeing, lying on the beach, eyeing creepy iguanas, sitting on barstools and eating Primanti Brothers sandwiches. That's right: We spent a week in Florida eating sandwiches that originated in Pittsburgh. Have you ever had one? If so, I'm sure you understand.





So where am I going with this? Well, tonight we had venison sandwiches and leftover cole slaw for dinner. And as I reached for the cole slaw, the husband smirked at me and said, "Are you going to put that on your sandwich?" In all honesty, I wasn't. I really wasn't. But as soon as he said that, I couldn't help myself. As soon as I got the photo I needed, I spooned that creamy slaw all over my venison, peppers and onions, and was quickly reminded of that fun first vacation we took together - and those ah-maze-ing sandwiches.

No, our sandwiches weren't as ginormous and probably won't be as memorable for the husband as the ones the Primanti Brothers served us, but dinner was pretty good. The sandwiches were quick to make, too, which is just what I like when it comes to weeknight meals.

I chopped up half a green pepper, about 1/2 cup of chopped onion and a few white mushrooms. I sauteed them in a fry pan for about 10 minutes until they were all tender and fragrant. (Oh, I probably threw a dash or two of mixed-up salt on them, too.)

Once the veggies were about halfway cooked, I put a 1/2 tablespoon light butter (and a little cooking spray) in a large skillet and heated it up. I rubbed the venison with a little pepper, onion flakes, garlic salt, paprika and Lord knows what else, and in about six minutes, the venison steaks we've been hoarding (courtesy of Da) were ready for our sandwiches. 

I had toasted our pieces of bread a little while the steaks were cooking and then topped them with the thinly sliced meat and veggies. (Yes, the husband got a slice of Cheddar, too.) Back in the convection oven those babies went for about three minutes - just enough time to eat our salads - and they were ready to go. 

From start to finish, I think this meal took me about 20 minutes. Does it get any better than that? Perhaps. Enjoying a big ol' Primanti Bros sandwich and an ice cold beer with my boyfriend and his saltwater- and sunscreen-kissed skin would have made for a great night, I'm sure. 

But I'm not in sunny Fort Lauderdale tonight. No, tonight I'm watching it rain buckets on the Smoky Mountains and listening to two brown dogs bark in the living room at their daddy while I dream about towering sandwiches topped with cole slaw and French fries. And that's just fine with me. Thanks for choosing the mountains over the beach, Husband, 'cause let's be honest here: I'd probably weigh about 400 pounds if we lived that close to Primanti Brothers.