4 to 6 servings

Although this comes from a cookbook with "glamorous" in the title, it is not a fancy dish. Make sure to season the meat well before searing it. The sauce gets a bump from a little balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking.

Serve with a peppery green salad and crusty bread for sopping up the sauce. Adapted from "Donatella Cooks: Simple Foods Made Glamorous," by Donatella Arpaia (Rodale, 2010).

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 thick New York strip steaks (about 2 pounds total)

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 medium cloves garlic

28 ounces (1 can) good-quality canned whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

4 teaspoons dried oregano

2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Leaves and tender stems from 6 stems fresh oregano or from 4 stems flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers.

Meanwhile, lay the steaks flat on a cutting board; use a sharp smooth knife to cut them in half horizontally to create 4 steaks of equal size. (If the steaks are of different thicknesses, adjust the cooking times as needed.) Trim any large pieces of fat from the edges. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste.

Peel and crush the garlic; leave it in large pieces if you plan to discard it before serving.

Place the steaks in the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until the meat is deeply browned. Transfer to a plate.

Carefully drain the oil from the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. When it is hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 or 2 minutes, until it starts to turn golden. Add the tomatoes by crushing them with your hands (reserving the juices in the can for another use, if desired). Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down to form a slightly thickened sauce; add a little of the reserved can juices as needed. Add the dried oregano and vinegar to taste; stir to incorporate.

Place all 4 steaks in the skillet, along with any accumulated meat juices. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes (for medium-rare) or longer, to the desired degree of doneness.

While the steak is cooking, mince the leaves of oregano or parsley.

Place each steak on a plate and spoon equal amounts of the sauce onto each portion (remove the garlic if desired). Garnish with the fresh herbs and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve warm.

- Bonnie S. Benwick, The Washington Post