TERIYAKI STEAK SANDWICH PLATTER
Source: Kris Cardall

Note from Source: Marinate the steak up to 1 day ahead in the refrigerator. Grill the steak and mushrooms the day of the picnic and, if the schedule permits, chill them before transporting. Put the crisped lettuce and other salad ingredients in individual heavy plastic food bags and the dressing in a jar, transport them in an insulated bag, then assemble everything on a platter at the party.

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 beef flank steak (1 1/2 lb.), fat-trimmed
4 portabella mushroom caps (about 4 in. wide; 3/4 lb. total), rinsed and drained
1 head romaine lettuce (1 lb.), rinsed and crisped
1 1/2 pounds firm-ripe tomatoes (1 or more colors), rinsed, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 English cucumber (2/3 lb.), rinsed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 pocket breads (6 in. wide)
Salt and pepper

In a 1-gallon heavy plastic food bag, combine soy sauce, salad oil, sugar, sherry, ginger, and garlic. Rinse flank steak, add to bag, seal, and set in a bowl. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day, occasionally turning bag over.

Lightly oil a barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or a gas grill on medium-high heat (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds). Lift steak from marinade and lay on grill. Coat each mushroom with marinade and lay, gills down, on grill; discard remaining marinade. Close lid on gas grill. After 5 minutes, turn meat and mushrooms over, and continue to cook until meat is done to your taste - 5 to 7 minutes more for medium-rare (cut to center of thickest part to test) - and mushrooms are flexible, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Transfer steak and mushrooms to a cutting board. Let cool at least 10 minutes; or cover and chill meat and mushrooms up to 8 hours.

Cut steak in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into slanting 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Save juices from meat and mushrooms.

Servings: 8