Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 large onions, thinly sliced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup beef stock (eyeball it)
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 6 to 8 ounces each
  • or
  • 2 boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick each
  • or
  • 2 strip steaks, 10 ounces each
  • 3 tablespoons grill seasoning
  • 2 Batons (smaller than a French baguette in length but slightly thicker)
  • 1 large clove garlic, peeled and cut in half
  • EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme stripped of the leaves and chopped
  • 2 cups shredded gruyere or Swiss cheese
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (a few handfuls), chopped

Yield

Serves: 2 servings

Preparation

Preheat grill or broiler to high.

Place a large skillet with butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until brown and caramelized. Season with some salt and pepper, and add the beef stock to the skillet, scraping the bits on the bottom of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Continue to cook the onions for 2-3 minutes or until the beef stock is almost completely gone.

Once you have the onions going, start the meat of choice: Season meat with some salt, pepper and grill seasoning, and give it a good drizzle of EVOO. For grilled chicken, grill on each side for 5-6 minutes. For broiled chicken, broil on each side for 5 minutes. For grilled pork chops, grill on each side for 10-12 minutes. For broiled pork chops, broil on each side for 10-12 minutes. For grilled steak, grill on each side for 8-10 minutes. For broiled steak, broil on each side for 8-10 minutes. Remove the meat from the grill or broiler and let rest a few minutes.

Split bread lengthwise and toast until golden in the broiler, oven or a big toaster oven. Remove and rub with the cut side of the garlic clove, then drizzle with a little EVOO, sprinkle with the fresh thyme and season with a little salt and pepper. Top the bread with the cheese and return to the oven to melt the cheese.

Top the melted cheese bread with some of the onions, thinly slice the meat of choice on an angle and top with more onions. Sprinkle with a little parsley and serve.