Thursday, October 25, 2007

Steak With Drunken Mushrooms

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons butter
Four 8-ounce sirloin steaks, pounded 1/2 inch thick
Salt and pepper
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup beer, preferably Bass Ale
1 dash Worcestershire sauce

In a large, heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Season 2 steaks with salt and pepper and add to the pan, weighting them down with a Dutch oven or another skillet. Cook until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the steaks to a large platter, cover loosely with foil and repeat with another tablespoon butter and the remaining 2 steaks.

In the same skillet, add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are softened and the shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the beer and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the Worcestershire sauce. Top each steak with the mushroom mixture.

Tips and Tricks
I bought a large top round steak and then cut into four smaller pieces. Placing the meat in a resealable bag and pounding with a crab mallet is the easiest (and most satisfying) way to flatten the meat. I flattened mine somewhat, but didn't worry about making it 1/2 inch thick. You can add extra cooking time for thicker steaks. In place of shallots, I used scallions, and I used Clipper City Gold in place of Bass Ale. Buy presliced mushrooms to save time. Two minutes per side of meat yields medium rare steak, so add extra time if you prefer your meat cooked more thoroughly. I also skipped the step of weighing the steak down with another skillet.
Make It Healthier
Use unsalted butter or trans-fat free spread.
How Kids Can Help
Pound meat flat. Measure ingredients.
Suggested Sides
steamed asparagus, twice-baked potatoes

2 comments:

mom said...

Sounds great - both my kids -- a bab and a 4 year old LOVE red meat - crazy little carnivores.

I would love a post on some do-ahead dinners - the kind of thing you could take to a friend or a potluck...?

Kayris said...

Click on our label in the sidebar for "freezes well." There are a lot of recipes that can be made ahead or that tolerate freezing. Thanks for visiting!