Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (174 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Steak Diane is a restaurant classic. But with its hallmark rich sauce based on an all-day veal stock reduction, we knew this dish was in need of some streamlining. We chose flavorful strip steaks and pounded them to a ¹⁄
2
-inch thickness for even cooking. We made a faux veal stock by using tomato paste, vegetables, red wine, and a mix of chicken and beef broth and we made the sauce right in the pan in which we cooked the steak, adding cognac and butter. With these modifications, we were able to get steak Diane on the table in less than an hour.
SERVES 4 TO 6
If desired, drizzle Steak Diane with white truffle oil just before serving. Before flambéing, be sure to roll up long shirtsleeves, tie back long hair, and turn off the exhaust fan and any lit burners. If you do not wish to flambé, simmer the cognac in step 4 for 10 to 15 seconds for a slightly less sweet flavor profile.
SAUCE BASE
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
4 | teaspoons tomato paste |
1 | onion, chopped |
1 | carrot, chopped |
4 | garlic cloves, peeled |
¹⁄ | cup water |
4 | teaspoons all-purpose flour |
1¹⁄ | cups dry red wine |
3¹⁄ | cups beef broth |
1³⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
2 | teaspoons black peppercorns |
8 | sprigs fresh thyme |
2 | bay leaves |
STEAKS
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
4 | (12-ounce) boneless strip steaks, trimmed and pounded to even ¹⁄ |
Salt and pepper |
SAUCE
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
1 | small shallot, minced |
¹⁄ | cup cognac |
2 | teaspoons Dijon mustard |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled |
1 | teaspoon Worcestershire sauce |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh chives |
Salt and pepper |
1. FOR THE SAUCE BASE:
Heat oil and tomato paste in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, until paste begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is reddish brown, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is well browned, about 3 minutes, adding remaining water as needed to prevent scorching. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and scrape bottom and sides of pot with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits; bring to boil, stirring occasionally (mixture will thicken slightly). Add beef and chicken broths, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves; bring to boil and cook, uncovered, occasionally scraping bottom and sides of pot with spatula, until reduced to 2¹⁄
2
cups, 35 to 40 minutes.
2.
Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; you should have about 1¹⁄
4
cups.
3. FOR THE STEAKS:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Meanwhile, pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place 2 steaks in skillet and cook without moving them until well browned, about 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Flip steaks and weight with heavy-bottomed pan; continue to cook until well browned on second side, about 1¹⁄
2
minutes longer. Transfer steaks to large platter and tent with aluminum foil. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and repeat with remaining steaks; transfer second batch of steaks to platter.
4. FOR THE SAUCE:
Off heat, add oil and shallot to now-empty skillet; using skillet’s residual heat, cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are slightly softened and browned, about 45 seconds. Add cognac; let stand until cognac warms slightly, about 10 seconds, then set skillet over high heat. Wave lit match over pan until cognac ignites, then shake pan to distribute flames. When flames subside, simmer cognac until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 10 seconds. Add sauce base and mustard; simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in butter; off heat, add Worcestershire, any accumulated juices from steaks, and 1 tablespoon chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5.
Transfer steaks to individual plates, spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over each steak, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives, and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
THAWING MEAT
In the test kitchen, we’ve noticed that meat seems to thaw more quickly when left on a metal surface rather than a wood or plastic one. To confirm our observation, we froze inch-thick steaks, pork chops, and ground beef overnight and defrosted them the next day on plastic and wood cutting boards; heavy stainless steel, cast-iron, and nonstick skillets; and lightweight aluminum baking trays. After one hour, the meat on the cutting boards was still frozen solid, the meat on the aluminum trays had made slightly more progress, and the meat on the heavy pans was almost completely thawed. What was going on?
Unlike plastic and wood, which contain atoms bound together in a relatively rigid matrix, metal contains lots of moving atoms that allow it to transfer ambient heat much more quickly. We found heavy steel and cast-iron skillets worked best—which makes sense, given that the heavier and thicker the metal, the more efficient the transference of heat. To thaw frozen wrapped steaks, chops, or ground meat (flattened to 1 inch thick before freezing), place them in a skillet in a single layer (keep the wrapping on). Flip the meat every half hour until it’s thawed. Irregularly shaped meats such as poultry or whole roasts that can’t make good contact with the skillet will not benefit from this method.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Steaks tips smothered in mushroom and onion gravy is a classic combination, but the resulting dish is often disappointing—chewy, overcooked beef swimming in a thick sludge of bland gravy. We wanted a much better rendition, one that could also be streamlined and made all in one skillet. Relatively inexpensive sirloin tips, with plentiful internal marbling for tenderness, proved ideal. We added dried porcini for extra mushroom flavor and used the moisture from deeply browned mushrooms and onions to make a rich, flavorful sauce. A sprinkling of flour thickened our gravy and minced garlic and woodsy thyme finished the sauce. We were happy to find that preparing it all in one skillet was as simple as searing the beef and setting it aside, building the gravy, and then adding the meat back to the gravy to cook through.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Steak tips, also known as flap meat, are sold as whole steaks, cubes, and strips. To ensure evenly sized chunks, we prefer to purchase whole steak tips and cut them ourselves. If you can only find cubes or strips, reduce the cooking time slightly to avoid overcooking any smaller or thinner pieces. Cremini mushrooms can be used in place of the white mushrooms. Serve over rice or egg noodles.
1 | tablespoon soy sauce |
1 | teaspoon sugar |
1¹⁄ | pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed and cut into 1¹⁄ |
1³⁄ | cups beef broth |
¹⁄ | ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
1 | pound white mushrooms, trimmed and cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | large onion, halved and sliced thin |
4 | teaspoons all-purpose flour |
1 | garlic clove, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon minced fresh thyme |
1 | tablespoon chopped fresh parsley |
1.
Combine soy sauce and sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, tossing once.
2.
Meanwhile, microwave ¹⁄
4
cup broth and porcini mushrooms in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms through fine-mesh strainer lined with coffee filter, reserve liquid, and mince mushrooms. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
3.
Pat meat dry with paper towels and
sprinkle with ¹⁄
2
teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add meat and cook until well browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large plate and set aside.
4.
Return skillet to medium-high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, white mushrooms, minced porcini mushrooms, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until all liquid has evaporated and mushrooms start to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add onion and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt; continue to cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown and dark bits form on pan bottom, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Add flour, garlic, and thyme; cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are coated with flour, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1¹⁄
2
cups beef broth and porcini soaking liquid, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits, and bring to boil.
5.
Nestle steak pieces into mushroom and onion mixture and add any accumulated juices to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until steak registers 130 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes, turning beef over several times. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Supermarket veal cutlets are a far cry from the delicate fare served in restaurants—bland flavor, tough meat, and a slimy exterior are just some of their problems. We wanted veal cutlets with tender meat and delicate flavor, a perfect backdrop for a boldly flavored sauce. We discovered that a decidedly unglamorous product, Adolph’s Tenderizer, turned reasonably priced supermarket cutlets into cutlets every bit as tender as those found in restaurants. But cooking them was still a challenge—we wanted nicely browned cutlets, but flouring and browning both sides overcooked the meat. The answer? We floured and browned just one side of the cutlet and cooked the second, unfloured side only briefly. Making the pan sauce before cooking the cutlets—then finishing it in the skillet to take advantage of the fond left behind from the cutlets—ensured our quick-cooking veal cutlets were warm upon serving.
