Ingredients
12 slices smoky bacon
1 pound shaved or very thinly sliced boneless rib eye (from your butcher)
2 teaspoons Kosher salt plus about 1/2 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pimentón (smoked sweet paprika)
1 teaspoon each granulated garlic and granulated onion
Olive oil, vegetable or canola oil, for drizzling
Chipotle Tabasco or other hot sauce, to taste
8 slices deli-cut Pepper Jack cheese
For the guacamole:
2 serrano or 1 large jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 small or 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
2 large or 3 small ripe but still firm avocados
Juice of 1 lime
Gem Romaine leaves
8 hand-cut slices white bread (I use Amy’s bread), toasted
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bacon on a slotted pan or on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Bake to crispy, about 15 minutes.
Preheat a cast-iron griddle or skillet.
Toss shaved meat with salt, pepper, cumin, pimentón, granulated garlic and onion.
For the guac, combine the chilies and onion with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let stand a few minutes. Combine with tomatoes, avocados and lime juice. Mash to desired consistency.
Dress griddle with a drizzle of oil. Toss meat onto the griddle and cook, chopping as you would a Philly steak, for 3-4 minutes to crisp. Separate steak into 4 mounds and top each mound with some hot sauce and 2 slices of cheese.
Pile meat and melted cheese on toast and top with lettuce, 3 slices of bacon and a mound of guac. Set toast tops in place and cut in half to serve.