So Many Dishes

Compared to chicken and seafood, I don’t post many beef recipes. Much as Ken and I like beef, we try to limit the amount we eat. Really, given the sticker shock I got when I bought some steaks recently, eating less beef is beneficial to your bank account, not just your health.

When it comes to having a special occasion meal, though, steak is always under consideration. So my choice to cook for the annual “in between birthdays” celebration for Ben and Ken, I chose to make steak with mushroom and wine sauce.

We spent Friday and Saturday in Longwood with Ben, Annie, and Emmalyn, so I cooked in Ben’s kitchen. It’s always an adventure to cook in a kitchen not your own. Even though I’ve cooked at Ben’s numerous times, there’s always something I don’t know where to find. And, compared to our kitchen, their counter space is much more limited. I’m used to spreading out. But we ended up with a delicious dinner.

The steak was actually quite simple; I seasoned top sirloin fillets with salt, pepper, and garlic, then seared them in a bit of olive oil. The recipe called for butter, and I made the assumption that Ben had butter. I should have asked! After I removed the steaks, I cooked shallots, more garlic, and a pound of quartered mushrooms with white wine and a little Worcestershire sauce. A pound of mushrooms was overkill; a half pound would have been plenty, especially as Emmalyn ate her steak without any sauce. She does like her meat rare, just like her dad. I remember when Ben was 5, and we went, along with my parents, to a Sunday buffet brunch where they had a carving station. Ken and my dad took Ben to get some of the beef roast and came back to the table laughing, because Ben had asked the carver for a medium-rare slice, and the guy did a double take. I guess it runs in the family.

We made our usual stop on our way into Longwood, having lunch at Jeremiah’s. I ordered the seasonal special pumpkin pie sundae. In addition to the pumpkin Italian ice and vanilla soft-serve ice cream, it included butter cookie crumbles. Yum! We’ve discovered that there is now a Jeremiah’s franchise in Palm Beach County. Fortunately for us, it’s on US 1 just north of PGA Boulevard, so it’s definitely not convenient. If one opens in Wellington, my A1C is doomed!

Before Ken and I headed home on Saturday, we all had lunch at 4 Rivers Smokehouse to satisfy our urge for excellent barbecue. 4 Rivers is a small chain, mainly in the Orlando area, and their popularity is well deserved. I went traditional with a pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, and coleslaw. I didn’t think to take a picture until I’d already dug in. I really didn’t need dinner when we got home.

This is the steak recipe as it appears in the Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2006.

Pan-Seared Steak with Mushrooms

Steaks:

• 4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter

Mushrooms:

• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 pound large button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, to serve

To prepare steaks, sprinkle beef evenly with salt and pepper. Rub 1 minced garlic clove over both sides of steaks. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add steaks, cook 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan; keep warm.

To prepare mushrooms, add shallots and mushrooms to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add 2 garlic cloves and sauté an additional 30 seconds. Add wine and next three ingredients; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated. (It took a lot longer than 3 minutes, and the mushrooms kept releasing liquid. I gave up and went with it.). Serve steak with mushrooms, sprinkled with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Happy eating!