I've probably described my favorite steak to you in a previous blog. The one that I used to eat at Entrecote in Montreal where the tender meat with the beautiful butter sauce would melt in my mouth and the thin crispy fries were the perfect accompaniment.
No matter how many healthy vegetable dishes you make or low fat meats you cook, there are times when its virtually impossible to whip up a gourmet substitute that will fulfill a craving for a nice juicy piece of steak. I know a lot of people enjoy the purity of steaks, perfectly satisfied with a seasoning of salt and a few herbs, seared for a few minutes, and then served up on a plate. I, on the other hand, am all about the sauces.
I think it started with ketchup when I was a kid. I see my husband's nephew eating ketchup with a side of food rather than the other way around or my younger cousin happily munching away on ketchup sandwiches. I wasn't quite as bad but I do remember getting a raised eyebrow a few times when I was younger after asking for it at some fancy restaurants.
Thankfully, I'm not as obsessed anymore but whenever I'm looking at a menu I always find myself inevitably with a dish that has an appealing sauce. I was craving a steak a few days ago so after picking up two half pound pieces of sirloin, I decided to come up with a creamy mustard sauce to go with it. It was really really delicious. We were sopping up the leftovers with pieces of bread long after we had finished with the meat.
Its remarkably simple. I seared the 2 pieces of steak in a frying pan on either side for about 30-40 seconds. I stuck them in the oven to finish while I made the sauce. To the leftover juices in the pan I added some chopped onions and garlic. After a minute or two I added beef broth and then finished by adding some creme fraiche and a tablespoon of mustard. Once the steaks were done, we poured the sauce over them and devoured the meal within minutes.
Recipe for Steak with Mustard Cream Sauce
Ingredients
2 half pound pieces of sirloin steak
3 tbsp of finely chopped onions (about 1/3 of a large onion)
6 oz of creme fraiche
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup of beef broth
3 cloves of garlic
Pinch of salt and ground pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash the steak and pat try with a paper towel to ensure that it sears well. Season generously with salt on each side and then sear in some butter or olive oil (I prefer butter) on each side for about 30-40 seconds. Put in the oven and check every few mins. I prefer mine medium well so I left it in for about 10 mins but if you prefer it medium or medium-rare take it out sooner.
While the steak is cooking chop up the onions and the garlic into fine pieces and add it to the juices that were left in the pan from the steak. After the onions have become soft slowly add the beef broth. Cook until it has reduced down (30 seconds to 1 min). Add more beef broth if too much gets absorbed. Keep stirring as you add the creme fraiche a little at a time. Finally add a tbsp of mustard and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to finish. Let the sauce cook for about a minute and then serve over the steak.
