Beefsteak with Mushroom Sauce



This is a delicious steak and mushroom recipe. The steaks are usually about 8 ounces each, but many people nowadays find half a steak to be plenty when served with side dishes. If not available, this can be made without the porcini mushrooms. Substitute a little chicken broth for the mushroom broth. The dry marsala adds a more robust flavor than the cognac.

4 New York steaks
6 T extra virgin olive oil
½ cup whiskey
1 t powdered garlic (not garlic salt)
2 t ground black pepper
2 pounds brown mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup (dry) porcini mushrooms
2 large shallots, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped fine
1 t herbes de Provence
1 t fresh rosemary, stripped from branch and chopped coarsely
½ cup cognac or ¾ cup dry marsala
a little butter
sea salt to taste

Boil 2 cups water and pour over the porcini mushrooms and let hydrate for about 30 minutes. When done, remove from water and chop. Reserve mushroom water. Mix 3 T of olive oil, whiskey, garlic powder, and 1 t black pepper and use as a marinade for the steaks. Marinate for about a half hour, turning the steaks occasionally. Heat 3 T olive oil in a large skillet, and saute  the shallots until soft. Add the garlic and porcinis, and then add the mushrooms in several stages, stirring to mix well and to cook the mushrooms evenly, letting them soften completely and reduce in size. If the mushrooms are very moist, make sure most of the moisture evaporates. When mushrooms are about half cooked, add the herbes, rosemary and 1 t pepper, and keep stirring to mix well. When the mushrooms are done moisten well with some porcini water and set aside.

Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Grease a broiler pan with a little butter and place on the upper rack of the oven under a preheated broiler. Once heated, pull out the rack, put the steaks on the pan, and return to oven. Cook to your preference, turning only once when about half done. Sprinkle very lightly with salt.

Finish the mushrooms by returning pan to medium high heat. Add the cognac or marsala and saute actively. If more moisture is needed add a little more mushroom water. Taste and adjust with salt, if necessary. Serves 4 to 8, depending upon the size of the meat serving.

Serve with 2004 Castelletto Trovato.



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