Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [64]
4. Return the skillet to medium-high heat on the stove and swirl in the butter. Add the shallot and cook for 1 minute, or until quite browned, stirring constantly. Add the brandy and cook for 30 seconds, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. The brandy may flame—if it does, cover the skillet and remove it from the heat for 30 seconds, or until the flame is out. Continue cooking until the brandy is reduced by half, then whisk in the cream and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minute, or until reduced to a thick sauce. Pour over the steaks and serve.
NOTE: Use a mortar and pestle to crack the peppercorns; or place them between sheets of plastic wrap, fold the edges to seal, and hammer them with the smooth side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy saucepan. You can use a mix of peppercorns in this dish: black, pink, green, and white.
STEAKS WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE makes 2 servings
Dried porcinis make a nice foil to tender, flavorful ribeyes. You may need to work in two pans to hold both the steaks, or use an extra-large sauté pan. Have everything ready before you start cooking because this dish comes together very quickly. Serve these steaks with the classic side: potatoes—baked, roasted, or mashed.
3 tablespoons dried porcini
¼ cup boiling water
Two 7-ounce ribeye steaks, trimmed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 small shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1. Place the porcinis in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water; set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 475°F. Season the steaks with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Drain the porcinis, reserving the soaking liquid. If the liquid is sandy, strain it through a chinoise or a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
3. Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Swirl in the oil, then add the seasoned steaks. Cook for 3 minutes, turning once.
4. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for about 3 minutes for rare, 5 minutes for medium-rare, or 7 minutes for medium. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of one of the steaks should register 120°F for rare, 125°F for medium-rare, or 130°F for medium. Transfer the steaks to a serving platter or two dinner plates, tent with foil, and set aside.
5. Return the skillet to medium-high heat on top of the stove and swirl in the butter. Add the shallot, garlic, thyme, and the soaked porcinis; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the vermouth, vinegar, sugar, and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid; boil for 1 minute, or until reduced by half, stirring constantly. Pour in the cream. Boil for 1 minute, or until reduced to a thick sauce. Pour over the steaks and serve.
RIB ROAST FOR TWO makes one 1-bone rib roast
Who could believe a rib roast for two? And who could believe how fast you can make it? It’s so easy: just coat it in kosher salt and pepper and roast for under 20 minutes. Voilà, dinner in no time. Ask your butcher to give you a one-bone roast—not the so-called first bone, because it will be too lean to stand up to cooking as a thin, small roast; and not the last bone either, the one that’s mostly fat. Ask for one of the bones somewhere in the middle of the ribs, about where the cut is made for the three- or four-bone roasts.
2 teaspoons olive oil
One 2-pound, 1-bone rib roast
½ teaspoon salt, preferably kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly