Mmm, steak

Mmm, steak! Steak with a red wine & shallot pan sauce.

When we explored the new Wegman's this past Sunday, I got very excited by all the nice cuts of meat they had. Our regular run of the mill markets around our neighborhood all had crap. If you wanted something nice you had to go to Eastern Market--which I love, but don't always have the time to go to. Or head to Whole Foods, which I also love, but can't afford on a regular basis. Wegman's had nice beef and it was the right price. We bought two vaccum sealed steaks (can't remember the cut). They looked like, and I thought they were filets, but they weren't. Regardless, they were tasty!

An hour before cooking, I prepped all my ingredients and let the steaks come to room temperature after I rinsed them and patted them dry. Prior to cooking, I seasoned them liberally with salt & pepper and an additional spice blend for super yummy flavor! I poured a small bit of olive oil the pan, to just coat the bottom, no pools of oil. Medium high heat. Drop the steaks down. These were some thick steaks, so I cooked them a total 8 minutes per side, for medium doneness. I flipped them at the 5 minute mark per side, then turned the heat to medium. This gave the steaks a great sear and didn't over cook them.

When I was done, I removed the steaks to a plate and covered with foil while I moved on to the sauce. Since I used very little oil, the pan was dry. Drop in a TB of butter, 3 diced shallots and a pinch of chopped rosemary. Saute until soft and starting to brown. Pour in dry red wine, a scant cup. Deglaze the pan and reduce to a thick syrup. Add 1/2 cup of broth and simmer until reduced by half. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Turn off the heat and add another TB of butter, swirl and stir until incorporated. Serve immediately over the steaks. Careful, you'll be tempted to finish the sauce with a spoon!

Enjoy.