My coauthor, Anne-marie Ramo, likes to serve this recipe when she entertains on weeknights and doesn’t have a lot of time but wants something decadent. An elegant presentation of a simple sautéed steak and a quick pan sauce, it’s suitable for any dried mushroom you may have in your pantry: morels, portobellos, or shiitakes, or a wild mushroom blend. The key to getting the shallots crispy is making sure they’re very dry before adding them to the oil. Give them a quick blot on a paper towel before cooking.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION
DRIED PORCINI MUSHROOMS
- 1 ounce
- Place in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water.
- Soak for at least 45 minutes, or up to several hours, until soft.
- Remove the porcini from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon. Chop and set aside.
- Strain the soaking liquid, leaving behind any grit in the bottom of the bowl, and reserve.
FRIED SHALLOTS
- ¼ cup Grapeseed or Peanut Oil
- 2 large Shallots, very thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
- Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the shallots and fry, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat if the shallots begin to brown too quickly.
- Transfer to paper towels to drain.
STEAKS
- 4 1- to 1½-inch-thick Boneless Steaks (6–8 ounces each)
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper.
- Sauté them in the butter, following the directions for Pan-Seared Fillet Steaks.
- Keep warm while you make the sauce.
SAUCE
- 2 Shallots, finely chopped
- ¼ cup Dry Madeira
- ¼ cup Dry Red Wine
- ½ cup Homemade Beef Stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Cold Butter, cut into 2 pieces
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the chopped shallots, and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute more.
- Add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, the Madeira, red wine, and stock and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until reduced to about 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
TO SERVE
- Return the steaks to the pan, set over medium heat, and warm through, about 1 minute.
- Place each steak on a dinner plate.
- Spoon the sauce over the steak and top with the fried shallots.
ALTERNATIVE CUTS
- Ball tip, bottom sirloin flap (bavette), tri-tip, petite tender, cut into 1-inch medallions, or Denver.
COOK’S NOTES
- Grapeseed and peanut oil are ideal for frying the shallots because of their high smoke point, but any vegetable oil, such as canola, will do.
