Yes, this one is a bit decadent, but it is so delicious that it is hard not to post it. If I were to open a “comfort food” restaurant, this would be top of the menu. Served with roasted potatoes and sautéed mushrooms, you pretty much can’t go wrong. And, just for kicks, I’ve added the potato and mushroom recipe to the end of this post just to be thorough. Admittedly, it lacks color in its presentation, but the dark, rich red wine sauce is amazing. Mashed potatoes and a green vegetable – broccoli, spinach, sprouts – would also work very well.
First – the steak and sauce. I’ve been using a rib-eye for this recipe for a long time, but it works with any bone-in or boneless cut. For 2 people anything from 1 – 2 lb is more than enough. Get the steak to room temperature and season both sides with a little olive oil, salt & pepper. Let stand.
To cook the steak you’re going to need 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, x4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and x4 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a large knife, paper skins left on.
For the sauce, you’re going to need 3-4 cloves of garlic, 1-2 cups of red wine, 1-2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/4 cup of water and 4 Tbsp of butter. Chop the garlic into fairly fine pieces.
Put 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter into a skillet over medium high heat – swirl a bit as the butter is melting to mix it with the oil. Once the skillet is hot enough (but not too hot), add the rosemary stalks and crushed garlic cloves and swirl well to combine everything – maybe 30 second.
Then, fry the steak(s) – about 2-3 mins per side turning a few times from side to side (you can also brown the edges of the steak if it is thick enough by placing it on its side and holding it with tongs). Each time you turn it over, baste the upside with the rendered fat/oil/butter mix with a large spoon and gently rub the rosemary and garlic over the upside of the steak as you baste – all over. Turn the steak over again, and repeat the process – maybe 4 times on each side depending on thickness.
Test the density of the meat – one way is the press gently against the meat and compare it to the density of the skin between your forefinger and thumb – matching the density nearer to front edge is rare and working your way back to medium rare and medium.
All told, about 8-10 mins, max. This is for a 1″ to 1-1/2″ thick cut, and for med-rare, don’t cover it, for medium, cover the steak for part of the second half of the cooking process. [I’ve been using a ridged grill pan for this to get the proper grill marks, but that’s just for aesthetics].
Remove the steak from the pan and set aside to rest.
Remove about 1/3 of the juices from the pan as well as the garlic and rosemary. You can place the garlic and rosemary on top of the resting steak for garnish.
In the same pan, with the remaining juices, quickly flash fry the chopped garlic until fragrant; about 30 seconds. Keep it moving to ensure the juices get infused and the garlic doesn’t burn. Then add your red wine – 1 to 1-1/2 cups, the 2 Tbsp soy sauce and the 1/4 cup water. Reduce the heat slightly so that the liquid is boiling but not violently. Let this reduce by at least half, possibly even 2/3, until it thickens to the consistency of a hot fudge sauce – probably somewhere between 8 and 12 mins.
Reduce the heat slightly and then, with a small whisk, mix in the butter one Tbsp at a time – let this reduce even more – but not more than another 5 mins.
Pour the thickened sauce over the rested steak, sliced if you like, and serve with roasted potatoes and sautéed mushrooms (see below).
ROASTED POTATOES:
Pre-heat oven to 425. Chop about 1 lb of potatoes into 1″ chunks and drop into boiling, salted water for 4-5 minutes. Drain and toss with about 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chopped fresh rosemary or thyme (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of each of these, max). Place seasoned potatoes, skin side up, onto a lightly oiled and foiled baking sheet. Place in the pre-heated oven for about 15-20 mins or until the potatoes are golden. Lightly shake the baking dish to ensure the potatoes aren’t sticking a couple of times during the process.
SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS:
Roughly chop about 3-4 cups of fresh mushrooms (we use Shiitake or Cremini) and 1-2 fresh shallots. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1-2 Tbsp butter to a skillet and place over med-high heat until the butter is melted and mixed with the oil. Add shallots and cook until fragrant, about 1 min. Then add the mushrooms and another 1 Tbsp butter (or oil if you rather) to the skillet and cook until golden and just turning soft – 5-8 mins. Add 1/2 cup white wine and cook until the wine has evaporated.
Dinner at Our Place 