PEPPERED RIBEYE SANDWICH

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Trim the fat from the ribeyes (about 2-3 tablespoons) and then render the fat in the very hot skillet. Season the trimmed steak with the cracked black pepper and the salt, patting it down to form a crust. Remove the rendered fat pieces from the skillet and add the ribeyes. Cook the steak for about 3 minutes and then flip and continue to cook over high for another 2-3 minutes. Set the meat aside to rest. You want the meat to be very rare as there will be considerable carry over cooking time while you let it rest until it is just warm before slicing. While the steaks are resting, reduce the heat to medium high and add the mushrooms to the same pan that the steaks were cooked in. Cook the mushrooms, stirring as needed, for about 1 minute before stirring in the diced shallots and the garlic salt. Continue stirring for another minute. Stir in the brandy and bring it up to a full boil before stirring in the half and half. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about another 3 minutes, or until it has reduced to the thickness where it will coat the back of a spoon. Slice the ribeyes thinly. Stir any juices that have accumulated into the mushrooms. To assemble, dip the cut sides of the toasted pretzel rolls into the mushrooms to sop up the brandy cream. Pile on the thinly sliced steak, top with the mushrooms, followed by the pepper jack cheese, tomatoes and watercress.