Steak for One

Pan Roast Strip Loin with Tarragon Onion Butter

Yield: 2

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

I don’t eat a beefy steak very often, but when I do, I like it to be perfect. To me a flavourful mixed butter melting over the top of a crusty beefsteak is heaven! Tarragon’s sharp flavour is a perfect complement to the rich beef flavour.

Ingredients:

Butter

• 2 x onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 1 bunch of tarragon, minced
• 1/2 cup of room temperature butter (1 stick)

Steak

• 2 tbsp of butter
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 x thick New York striploin steak
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Butter

1. Melt the first two tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and a splash of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat then cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook until onions are very soft, about 20 minutes. The water will help the onions release their own moisture evenly, without burning. But the water has to dissipate in order for the temperature to raise thereby allowing the onions’ sugars to brown. So remove the lid, turn the heat down a notch and allow the onions to slowly caramelize. Stir frequently and be patient. As the onions begin to brown you may find it useful to continue turning the heat down a bit so they don’t burn. When the onions are a deep golden colour, spoon into a bowl and let thoroughly cool.
2. Place the stick of butter in a bowl and mash it with a rubber spatula until soft. Add the tarragon and cooled onions. Mix well. Spoon along the edge of a 12-inch piece of plastic wrap, leaving 3 inches on either end for twisting. Roll into a log and twist both ends tightly. Put the log into the refrigerator and chill until hard. To use, slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds.

Steak

1. Toss the butter and oil into a thick-bottomed frying pan and begin melting over a medium-high heat. Continue until the mixture foams. Because butter burns at a fairly low temperature, the oil – which burns at a much higher temperature – will dilute it a bit, keeping it from burning and allowing you to cook the steak in the flavourful butter.
2. Season the steaks very well with salt and pepper. When foam has subsided, add steaks to the frying pan and sear on first side until they’re well caramelized, about 8 minutes. Flip steaks and cook on other side for 8-10 minutes for medium-rare. You may do what every chef first did in order to see if the steak is done: cut a small slit in one side and peek at the center! Remove steaks and place on a rack and let rest for a few minutes to allow their juices to reabsorb.
3. Serve with a slice of the butter on top!

Miso Broth

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Makes one mug

You won’t believe how richly satisfying a mug of this broth can be or how easy it is to make. Miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans. It’s very nutritious and a staple of Asian and vegetarian cooking. If you can boil water, you can make this broth!

Miso Broth

A cup or so of boiling water
A heaping spoonful of miso paste
A thinly sliced green onion
A handful of your favourite vegetables

Bring the water to a boil in a small pot. Cut any optional vegetables into small pieces so they’ll cook quickly. Toss them in with the green onion.

Simmer just long enough for the vegetables to heat through. Turn off the heat and whisk in the miso paste. You won’t need to add salt. The miso seasons the broth nicely. Enjoy!

Potato Bacon Cheddar Tart

Ease of Preparation: Moderate
Makes 8 servings

This special occasion treat features the classic trio of potatoes, bacon and cheddar. It will take a while to make but the results are worth it. It may look hard to make – until you try it – then you’ll realize how simple it is to master!

Potato Bacon Cheddar Tart

Two pounds or so of room temperature bacon
A minced onion
Three minced garlic cloves
Four cups of grated aged cheddar
Five or six large unpeeled baking potatoes
A sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Carefully arrange the bacon in a radial pattern from the center of the bottom of a ten-inch, non-stick pan to the lower edge of the rim and continuing up and over it. Let the ends hang over. The slices should overlap slightly around the sides of the pan. To reduce the thickness of the bacon in the center stagger every other piece starting it two inches from the center and extending it further than the adjacent slices. With the palm of your hand, flatten the center area, leaving no gaps in the bacon. Season the bacon with pepper then sprinkle on several tablespoons of the grated cheddar.

Slice the potatoes as thinly and uniformly as you can, about a quarter inch thick. Arrange a circular pattern of overlapping slices around the inside bottom edge of the pan. Continue arranging overlapping layers of the potatoes until the bottom is evenly covered. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Mix the onions and garlic together and sprinkle some of the mixture onto the potatoes. Continue with a layer of the grated cheese. Cover with another layer of the potato pressing it down firmly before continuing with alternate layers of the potatoes, onion mixture and cheese until the pan is full. Continue with several more layers insetting each a bit from the edge of the pan until the top is an inch or so higher than the pan’s rim. Fold the overhanging bacon neatly up and over the top of the potatoes. Trim a small piece of parchment paper and place it in between an ovenproof lid and the bacon. This will prevent the bacon’s ends from pulling back and shrinking during cooking.

Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for at least two and a half to three hours. You’ll know it’s done when a small thin bladed knife insert easily. Pour off as much of the fat around the edges as possible. Let the tart stand for fifteen minutes then invert it onto a cutting surface. Slice into wedges and serve immediately. You may refrigerate any leftovers and reheat them later it in a microwave.



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