Meaty Main Course: Filet Mignon with Balsamic Glaze

If you want to impress family and friends with an extraordinary meal, why not cook the king of steaks, the filet mignon?

A great filet mignon requires little help, but just the right reduction sauce on it can really elevate the steak into something extraordinary and decadent. The trick to this glaze is to first use the wine and vinegar to deglaze the pan before adding in the shallots and rosemary. Serve the filet with a side of baby red potatoes, and some vegetables like perhaps some spinach sauteed with lemon juice and a hint of garlic. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Glaze

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon (set aside) butter
• 2 filet mignon steaks
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• salt to taste
• 2 shallots
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped

Directions

1. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Pepper and salt both sides of each steak to taste. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, then add the fillets to the pan and allow to sear for 4 minutes, then flip and let sear for another 4.
2. Transfer the filets to a plate, and keeping the burner on medium high. Melt the last tablespoon butter then add the shallots and saute for 3 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar to deglaze, using a spatula to scrape off the browned bits. Add the rosemary. Bring the mixture to a boil, and season with salt to taste. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
3. Return the fillets to the pan and cook to desired doneness, flipping halfway through. Plate the steaks with steamed vegetables and potatoes, then spoon the reduction over top of the steaks.
4. Enjoy!

Meaty Main Course: Classic Steak Diane

Steak Diane is a fantastic American dish we love! It's essentially an American take on French cuisine. It's a pan-fried steak with a sauce made from pan juices and flambeed. Despite the popularity of the dish in the early 20th century, three decades ago the dish fell out of fashion. This, of course, means many modern diners haven't had it, or enjoyed a good Steak Diane in quite some time. We wanted to remedy this oversight with a slightly more modern interpretation of this nearly forgotten dish.

To properly make Steak Diane, you first have to sear the steaks then set aside while cooking the shallots and mushrooms with the drippings and some butter. Add a few more ingredients to make the sauce, then finish cooking the steaks in the sauce to cook them to perfection. Typically, the steaks were cooked by the table to make an impressive show of the flambe. Feel free to call the guests into the kitchen to make a show of the fire, or just enjoy it yourself (but be careful of the flames!). Keep reading below for this delicious dinner recipe...

Steak Diane

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 center cut beef tenderloin steaks (about 6oz each)
• salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup finely minced shallots
• 4oz oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons brandy
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced chives

Directions

1. Whisk together the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Set aside. Pound the steaks thin, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.
2. Add 2 tablespoons butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Turn the heat up to high, and sear the meat for 1-2 minutes, then turn and sear the other side. Remove to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let the steaks rest.
3. In the skillet, saute the shallots on medium-high heat, stirring a few times. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan. Stir, mixing well and stirring until the mushrooms release their liquid and the liquid evaporates (about 2 minutes). Add the brandy  and light with a match to flambe. Continue to cook, lightly shaking the pan by the handle to stir until the flame dies down.
4. Stir in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened (about 2-3 minutes), stirring often. Stir in the cream and add the steaks and any accumulated juices to the pan and cook, turning the steaks in the sauce until warmed through and the sauce has thickened. Transfer the steaks to serving plates. Stir the parsley and chives into the sauce, and pour the sauce over the steaks to serve.
5. Enjoy!

Irish Recipe: Steak and Guinness Pie

If there's one thing that is uniquely Irish, it's probably meat pies. Whether it's a shepherd's pie, or a kidney pie, these savory dishes are made all the better by the layer of dough on top as well as the hearty sauce. Tonight we wanted to share a great recipe for another type of meat pie: steak and guinness!

This delicious pie could very well make for a wonderful stew in its own right, but there's something about the crust that makes this so much better. To make this recipe just that much easier, we cheated a little and used frozen pastry puff, but feel free to make your own. Keep reading below for this absolutely delicious recipe...

Steak and Guinness Pie

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2lbs boneless chuck roast cubed
• salt and pepper
• 3 teaspoons flour
• olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 4 sticks celery, diced
• 1/4 cup chestnut mushrooms halved
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bottle Guinness
• 1 beef bullion cube
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 pie crusts
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with flour, and toss until coated.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the meat until well browned. Add the onion, and fry for another minute. Then add the celery, carrots, mushrooms, and herbs. Cook 5 minutes, then add the guinness, bullion cube, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, stir well, and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened.
3. For the pie, preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out one of the pie crusts into the bottom of a large pie dish, making sure the crust hangs over the edge. Put the meat stew into a the pie shell. Roll out the remaining pastry dough and place over the baking dish, folding the crust over the edges and crimping. Poke a few holes into the pastry, and brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg.
4. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
5. Enjoy!

Creative Grill Recipe: Flank Steak with a Balsamic Glaze and Orange Gremolata

If you're eager to set your grill up and get cooking, why not do it in style? Spruce up that steak with some grilled red onions and a balsamic glaze. Top all of that off with some zesty orange gremolata, and you have a meal worth bragging about.

The flank steak practically speaks for itself and only really required a quick sprinkle with salt and pepper before grilling. For our balsamic glaze, we combined vinegar and shallots and let the mixture simmer until reduced into a nice, thick sauce. Our gremolata is made with grated orange rind instead of the standard lemon to change the flavors up and make this an almost irresistible garnish when combined with the glaze. In the end, the flavors combined into  a perfect dinner we fell in love with. Keep reading below for this great steak recipe...

Grilled Flank Steak with Orange Gremolata

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1lb flank steak, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium red onion cut into 8 wedges
• cooking spray
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Prepare the grill.
2. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak and onion wedges on a grill coated with cooking spray. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until you've reached the desired doneness. Remove the steak and the onions from the grill and let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into slices.
3. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, rosemary, brown sugar, and shallots in a small saucepan. Stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes or until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
4. To make the gremolata, combine the fresh parsley, orange rind, and 2 cloves minced garlic.
5. Drizzle the steaks with the balsamic glaze, then sprinkle with the gremolata. Serve with sweet potatoes.
6. Enjoy!