Steak Diane
This is one of those old war horses that I think is still delicious. It's been retired from the culinary scene for such a long time that most folks probably haven't heard of it. It was a classic served when couples went out for a special dinner. All things old become new again!
This is one of those old war horses that I think is still delicious. It's been retired from the culinary scene for such a long time that most folks probably haven't heard of it. It was a classic served when couples went out for a special dinner. All things old become new again!
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 boneless beef steaks or your choice, cut 1 inch thick
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper or sea salt
- 1/4 cup shallots or green onions finely chopped
- 1/3 cup beef stock or consomm canned
- 3 tablespoons brandy or cognac
- 1 tablespoon dijon style mustard
- 1 tablespoon chives and/or parsley finely chopped
- Carbohydrate 5.69064791659551 g
- Cholesterol 197.1290625 mg
- Fat 32.5252406256102 g
- Fiber 0.28499999692586 g
- Protein 76.5573718756649 g
- Saturated Fat 15.8340175000377 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (467g)
- Sodium 512.619916794945 mg
- Sugar 5.40564791966965 g
- Trans Fat 3.57861562502755 g
- Calories 684 calories
Step-by-step
- Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper. In a heavy bottomed saut pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add steaks and cook until well seared and done to your liking, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Set steaks aside and keep warm tented with foil. Remember they will continue to cook a little.
- Pour off most of the fat from the pan and add the butter and shallots. Cook the shallots till softened over moderate heat, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and brandy and raise heat a bring to a boil. Scrape up any of the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce by half and stir in Worcestershire and cream and reduce to a light sauce consistency. Add any juices from the steak and season to your taste with salt and pepper. Stir in chives and pour sauce over steaks and serve immediately.
Deep mahogany sears meet a glossy reduction of brandy, shallots, and heavy cream in this classic skillet preparation. Skeptics often dismiss pan sauces made with spirits as gimmicky, but properly reducing the brandy breaks down the harsh alcohol burn while leaving behind concentrated caramelized sugars that marry cleanly with the dairy. Achieving accuracy in the final stage requires managing heat precisely so the cream thickens to a coating consistency rather than breaking into an oily separation.
Judging internal temperature without an instant-read thermometer relies entirely on tactile feedback from the meat. Pressing a raw steak yields a spongy, yielding texture, whereas a medium-rare piece registers with a firmer bounce that still retains some give under fingertip pressure. Testing this resistance consistently during the four-minute sear prevents overcooking before the meat rests under foil.
Pan searing demands a heavy-bottomed skillet like cast iron or clad stainless steel to maintain thermal mass when cold meat hits the surface. Thin aluminum pans drop in temperature rapidly, causing the beef to steam rather than develop the deep crust required for building fond. Retaining those browned proteins on the pan floor is essential for flavoring the subsequent stock reduction.
Common errors usually involve overcrowding the pan or failing to vent accumulated steam during the initial sear. Adding cold dairy directly to a boiling pan also causes curdling, so incorporating the cream gradually over moderate heat stabilizes the emulsion. Pouring any accumulated resting juices back into the finished reduction ensures no flavorful fond goes to waste.
