Winter steak
Every once in a while, don’t you crave a steak — a thick, juicy, medium rare steak with a crusty sear on the outside and all that delicious umami flavor? This is never a problem in the summer — A steak grilled on the barbecue at the height of summer Is delicious and easy to come by. In the winter though, it’s difficult to achieve that same degree of satisfaction.
I’ll forego the bundled-up pit master, wrapped in ski parka, Shetland sweater, wool beanie and thick gloves, pacing around the outdoor grill, stamping his feet and checking his watch in the dark — the entrée wouldn’t live up to the suffering. And you don’t always want to make a big deal and “go out to dinner” for a simple steak, so back to the kitchen.
I’ve tried various indoor steak cooking ideas — mainly broiling or pan-frying, that set off the smoke alarm and create a greasy haze in the kitchen that has to be blown out the back door with fans while a cold draft blows in, but never produced a very satisfying steak.
This winter I came upon a new idea that was so logical and well-considered I knew it had to work. The process is called “reverse sear” and the idea is you cook the the steak in the oven at a low temperature until the interior reaches the desired state of done-ness then finish it on top of the stove in a super-hot cast-iron fry-pan, but only for a few minutes. It’s already cooked, you are just creating that lovely sear on the outside.
Holy baked potatoes! It does work! It’s even better than a grilled steak in the summer because you aren’t guessing if it’s over done or too rare — it’s cooked through at precisely the right temperature. I can now enjoy a perfect steak in the winter, every once in a while, and share the news with you. Cook the steak you like — I’ve tried it with a New York and a top sirloin, both of average thickness, and a thick filet mignon. Having the meat at room temperature before you start the process is important. The steaks were delicious out of the pan, but the herb-butter sauce is a nice upgrade. I can only say, if you’re craving a steak, give it a try, you’ll be amazed.
Reverse sear steak
Learning how to reverse-sear means you can serve steakhouse quality meals in your own kitchen; steaks with a deeply browned crust and an inside that is evenly cooked. This method is especially helpful when cooking thick steaks; it allows the meat to cook exactly to your taste without overcooking or even burning the exterior of the steak. Although this steak is delicious straight out of the skillet, we added a buttery wine pan sauce to finish off the dish. The recipe for the herb butter added to the sauce makes more than you will need and is very handy to have around to dress up a pot of rice or vegetables at the last minute. Recipe by Jasmine
Smith. Active Time:15 minutes, total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 (1 pound, 4-ounces) boneless beef strip steak (11/2-inch thick), at room temperature
• 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 5teaspoons freshly cracked 4-peppercorn blend, divided
• ½ cup (4ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced shallot (from 1small shallot)
• 1teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1tablespoon grapeseed oil (Mazola works just fine)
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• ½ cup unsalted beef broth
DIRECTIONS >> Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle steak with salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper. Place steak on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of meat registers 115degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare (the steak will cook more when it is finished in the skillet), about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, place butter, shallot, thyme and remaining 4 teaspoons pepper in a small bowl; fold mixture together using a spatula until thoroughly combined. Cover and chill the compound butter for about 30 minutes, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Heat oil in a 12-inch castiron skillet over high until oil shimmers and just begins to smoke. Add steak; cook until golden brown, 1 minute per side. Transfer steak to a cutting board.
Remove skillet from heat, add wine to skillet, and let mixture reduce, stirring constantly, until reduced by half, about 15 seconds. Add broth. Return skillet to heat over mediumhigh and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring constantly, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons compound butter and whisk until butter has melted and sauce emulsifies. Season with additional salt to taste.
Slice steak into 1/4-inchthick pieces, and divide between 2 plates. Spoon pan sauce over steak and serve.
Accompany with baked potato and a heap of broccoli to make up for our sins.
Pavlova
Valentine’s Day is sneaking up and Pavlovas are a pretty way to work some red and white heartshaped creamy goodness into your celebration. This recipe is for individual Pavlovas, about 15, if you’re having friends over, and is fun to make what with
all the piping and garnishing with fresh fruit. Make the meringues ahead — on a lazy Sunday afternoon — store them air-tight to keep them crisp and assemble the whipped cream and berries when you are ready to serve.
Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
This Pavlova is a perfect dessert, crisp on the outside with marshmallowy goodness on the inside, piled high with fluffy cream and loads of fresh fruit. Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com.
Pavlova ingredients:
• 6large egg whites, room temperature
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 2teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cream ingredients:
• 11/2 cups heavy whipping cream, (very cold)
• 2tablespoon granulated sugar
Topping/Decor ingredients:
• 4-5cups fresh fruit, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, sliced strawberries, etc
• 15Mint leaves , for garnish, optional
PAVLOVA DIRECTIONS >> Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. For Valentine’s Day, trace around a heart-shaped cookie cutter with a sharpie
on a piece of parchment paper. Lay the heart patterns in the baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment. This will give you something to follow when you are piping the meringue. You can space the meringues closely — they don’t spread as they bake.
Using your stand mixer, beat 6 egg whites on high speed 1 min until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat 10 min on high speed, or until stiff peaks form. It will be smooth and glossy.
Use a spatula to quickly fold in 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract, then fold in 2 teaspoon corn starch and mix until well blended.
Pipe meringue into 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide nests, or hearts, onto the parchment paper using a Wilton 1M Tip. Indent the center with a spoon to allow room for cream. Bake at 225 degrees for 1 hour and 15 min then turn the oven off and without opening the door, let meringue sit in the hot oven another 30 min. Outsides will be dry and crisp to the tap and very pale cream-colored and insides will still be marshmallow soft.
Transfer the pavlova with the parchment paper onto the counter or a cookie rack and allow it to cool to room temp. Once cool, you can top them with whipped cream and fruit or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days at
room temperature (in a low humidity place).
FROSTING, ASSEMBLY DIRECTIONS >> Beat cold whipping cream with 2 tablespoon sugar in the cold bowl for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until whipped and spreadable. Spoon whipped cream onto the pavlova and top with fresh fruit. Enjoy within 4 hours of assembly. A variation would be to use ice cream or frozen gelato and fruit.
February already?
Watch for fragrant Daphne in old neighborhood gardens and buy a pack of schoolboy valentines to hand out to perfect strangers and people standing in line with you at the grocery store. Share the love, you silly cupid.