Friday, October 16, 2009

Culinary Throwdown: Steak and Potatoes

Peppercorn Steak with garlic and chive of mashed potatoes!


Peppercorn Steak:



Ingredients
2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
2 boneless beef top loin steaks (8 ounces each)
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoon Shallots
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine or beef broth
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Rub pepper over both sides of steaks. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. In an ungreased skillet, brown steaks on both sides over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; add butter and garlic; cook for 4-6 minutes, turning steaks once. Add Worcestershire sauce; cook 4-6 minutes longer, turning once, or until meat reaches desired doneness. Remove steaks and keep warm.
Combine wine or broth, mustard and sugar; add to the pan. Stir to loosen browned bits. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; add to pan. Bring to a boil; add shallots cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with the steaks.

Garlic and chive of mashed potatoes:
Ingredients:
20-25 baby red skinned potatoes, washed and halved
3 tbsp butter
1 cup half and half
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes until fork tender.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat half and half and garlic on medium heat. Garlic will soften.
Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add butter, chives, and pepper. Add garlic from milk. Mash with a potatoes masher, adding a little of the hot half and half at a time until potatoes reach desired consistency.
Stir in cheese and serve immediately.

Best served with a salad or steamed vegetables and glass of merlot or a pint of amber ale.
Enjoy!

17 comments:

Buzz Kill said...

I love steak pan-fried in real butter and garlic. Simple but tastey. Do you peel the potatoes? I always do because I like fluffy potatoes. I'll put garlic in them sometimes but I'm mostly a mashed potato traditionalist.
Looks like a great meal.

moi said...

Most excellent job, Karl!

Moi Points For:

1. Pan frying – my preferred method of cooking a steak.

2. Garlicky mashed potatoes!

3. Presentation - nice balance of texture and colors.

Karl said...

Buzz Kill,

For this recipe, you peel the potatoes, the chives and garlic and lots of texture. The skins would be overkill.

For a romantic dinner for two or dinner with another couple, really hits the spot.

Karl said...

Moi: Thank you!

Elaine Denning said...

So that's a dinner for one, right?

Karl said...

Laney: You must be very hungry!
The steak recipe is for two and the potatoes are proportioned for four.

Hope you're feeling better.

Buzz Kill: My comment to you should have read: add a lot of texture, not and a lot of texture.

Aunty Belle said...

Sumptious!!

I also prefeer to saute mah steaksin butter--
Best in cast iron skillet.

This looks soooo temptin'

h said...

Excellent. Really like the mustard and parmesan additions. Good beverage selections too!

Kymical Reactions said...

oh my. I want to come over for dinner. this looks ah-may-zing.


This one is on my list.

LaDivaCucina said...

MMMMMM....!!!! It's lunch time here and DIVA IS SO READY FOR A STEAK DINNER!!! That looks so dee-lish and my big fella won't allow me to serve anything but mash and a nice drop of red with our steaks....not that I'd want to serve anything different anyway! Great job, Karl!

Gadfly said...

Damn ... This post made me hungry
O_O

Karl said...

Aunty Belle: Thanks, Your right cast iron is best, the older and well seasoned the better.

Troll: Thanks, the mustard does give it a certain zip and any beverage that will stand up to the peppercorns has to be full of body.

By the way, after coming back this afternoon and logging on, I realize that I neglected to link you as our host or Moi as our judge for that I apologize.

Kmwthay: Oh it is, it's a great recipe to have around. Not too hard to do and very satisfying.

La Diva: Welcome, glad you like it. If he really is a big person, I have seen this done with a 32 oz. Steak. The portions simply have to be changed.

Gadfly: well, your last post made me hungry too, just in a different way;)

moi said...

Howdy Karl! Come on over to Moi's Blog - I have revealed the winner of the Culinary Throw Down!

fishy said...

I do pan fry steaks on occasion ..... usually in a mixture of lemon zest and olive oil .... so satisfying. Really beautiful presentation with all those colorful vegetables.
Blowfish is the mashed potato head in our home, he tops his not with chives but caramalized sweet onions. I eat way more of these than I should but they are so very yum.

Great job on the throwdown!

Jenny said...

congrats!!

sparringK9 said...

nice presentation! next stop - food network. well done. i like pan fried steaks -we use an old black cast iron skillet. im saying we very liberally. this task falls under mans cooking in our house. congratulations karl.

rage said...

That looks mouth watering good...and it's time for me to eat too!