Steak with Wild Mushroom Sauce

steak and mushroom sauce My wife and I spent Valentine's Day 1997 with five good friends who flew in from both coasts. Living in Park City and being a holiday weekend, this was a perfect opportunity for our friends to visit and do a little skiing.

Cooking for seven may not be as romantic as The Reluctant Gourmet would like, but it sure can be a lot of fun.

My idea was to put together a meal that includes foods that are orgasmic. I thought we'd start with fresh figs stuffed with mascarpone and some brie cheese.

Being a bunch of meat eaters, the Reluctant Gourmet chose sliced steak with a wild mushroom sauce served with mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. And for a salad...organic mixed greens with a Dijon vinaigrette. Where's the chocolate? How about a chocolate soufflé!!

Here is my recipe for grilled steak with wild mushroom sauce. Click on my link to see how I like to make perfect mashed potatoes. The recipe for wild mushroom sauce calls for demi-glace, one of the most important ingredients for making sauces that is difficult to prepare but is now available in commerial form.

My favorite demi products have been More Than Gourmet's line of stock reductions but now some other companies are getting into the mix and offering quality products and reduced costs.

Photo by fabfoodpix.com

Steak Cooking Tips

Make sure the grill is hot, really hot. This will sear the outside of the meat and keep the juices in.
Don’t use a fork to turn the steaks, use tongs or a spatula to prevent juices from leaking out.
If you are using a broiler, you want to preheat it to get it hot for the same reason as above.
"Remember, never cook with any wine you wouldn't drink"
Check out my favorite grilling tips

Steak with Wild Mushroom Sauce
Serves 7 - 8
Cooking Technique - Grilling

Did you know that only 1% of cattle in the US are raised for Prime?

steak

4 medium sized New York Strip Steaks (Learn more about buying steaks here)
2 tablespoons shallots
2 oz. Butter (1/2 stick)
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, (portabello,morel,shitake, cremini...whatever is available)
1/2 cup Red Wine
1 cup cup demi glace
Salt and Pepper to taste

*If you can't find Demi-Glace Gold, you can substitute 1 cup of homemade demi-glace or 2 cups of veal stock reduced by half and forget about the cup of hot water.

Get your grill really hot. While that is happening, finely chop your shallots and slice your mushrooms. Have your red wine and demi glace or substitute ready to go

Prepare Steaks:

Preheat your grill until it’s really hot. Season the steaks with a little salt and pepper. The meat should be cooked approximately 3-4 minutes per side depending how you like your steaks. When done, slice the steaks into 1/4 inch strips, fan out on a warm plate and add your wild mushroom sauce.

Prepare Wild Mushroom Sauce:

Melt butter in a sauce pan and sauté shallots until transparent, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add red wine, preferably something you may be sipping while you are preparing this meal. Don’t use plain old cooking wine, big mistake.

Add mushrooms and cook until tender and wine has reduced to an essence. Add demi-glace and stir (with a whisk if you have one) until dissolved. Add hot water and simmer until the sauce has thickened, approximately 8-10 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste and serve over the steaks (and mashed potatoes).