What’s not to love about steaks? If it’s soft, juicy steak paired with sweet herbs and butter, you’re in the clear, really. This recipe, which features Prime Tenderloin from Bar Tartine in Paris, is classic in look and texture. But it’s also loaded with special ingredients that are unusual for steaks.
To soften the meat without losing its crunch, we turn to raw lemongrass and honey, rubbed with salt, sugar, black pepper, and garlic, then cooked to a sticky, sweet, and sour tang.
To give it a deep umami note, we apply some rice wine vinegar to the pan and turn it, making sure to turn the juices well so they don’t splatter onto your plate. Then, after adding some of the butter, we spoon the steak onto the open sauce pan, thinning it as we go, with the grace of the chef.
Ginger Butter Sauce
Start to finish: 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Olive oil for the pan
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallots, or shallot-colored pearl onions
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped peeled shallots
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and heat through
- 1 tablespoon chopped Thai or jalapeño chilies, or cilantro, to taste
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger, or pickled shallots, to taste
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil, or mint, to taste
-
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro, or mint, to taste
Directions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 F. Heat a large, deep, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic. When the garlic sizzles and begins to brown, add the shallots and brown the onions. When all the shallots and onions are browned, add the brown sugar, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of the butter. Turn up the heat, pour in the remaining butter and vegetables, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the gravy has reduced and the aromatics are fragrant. Sprinkle in the jalapeño chilies, salt, and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped basil, and half of the ginger, or to taste. Set aside.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 F. Lightly spray or lightly cover a large, deep ovenproof skillet with the remaining butter. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is melted and the aroma has changed to that of an intense puddle of ginger. Turn the butter up to medium and pour it over the steaks and stir to coat. Continue cooking the steak for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked through, turning it only halfway through. Turn the heat off and let the steak stand, letting the cooking juices run down the sides of the pan, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- To serve, turn the heat up to medium-high. Pour in the remaining tablespoon of butter and let it melt slowly, being careful not to splatter over the dish. Use a spatula to move the butter to the steak, thickening it a bit and spreading it around the plate. Top with the remaining finely chopped ginger, basil, cilantro, and season with salt and pepper.
- Nutrition | Per serving (based on 4): 350 calories, 12 g protein, 35 g carbohydrates, 28 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 720 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g sugar
- Melissa Clark is a food writer and editor at Lucky Peach, Food & Wine, and Gourmet magazine. She previously was a restaurant critic for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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