Steak & Beer - But Not In The Way You'd Expect...

Good evening everyone! Last night, I started of 2011 with a completely new ingredient to the blog - tilapia. (Along with a nice, long description all about the fish - an informed chef is a useful chef after all!) Tonight, Maggie gets her 2011 cooking season started off fresh by using an ingredient that's new to the blog as well.

Guinness.

While I established my love for cooking with alcohol many times before on the blog - (I've cooked penne with vodka sauce, chicken with red wine, fruit salad with red wine, pumpkin pie crust with vodka, countless soups with white wines - the list goes on and on) I've never used beer in any form (yet - I have a recipe or two that you may see yet this winter...) Tonight, Maggie beats me to the punch and introduces the stout beverage to our blog. 

Stout, for those who don't know is a dark beer - also referred to as a porter. Stouts originated in Ireland and are still one of the most produced Irish beers to date. Stouts are composed of mostly barley and any (manufacturer specific) blend of malt. There are other forms of stout that are produced with oatmeal, lactose and even coffee - although the most common blend you'll find is made from barley. You don't have to use Guinness for this recipe - any form of stout beer will do. Although Guinness is the most common and well known stout - so depending on your grocery store's alcohol selection - it may be your only choice. 

Now, I'll turn the keyboard over to Maggie and let her share tonight's recipe: 

The Recipe: Steak With Stout Pan Sauce
Original Recipe Found In: Bon Appetit - January 2011 Issue

5 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard (Divided)
2 12-Ounce New York Strip Steaks
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil (Divided)
1 Tablespoon Butter (Room Temperature)
2 Teaspoons All Purpose Flour
1 Large Garlic Clove (Pressed)
1/2 Cup Low Sodium Beef Broth
1/2 Cup Stout Beer (We used Guinness)
1 Tablespoon (Packed) Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce


Good evening everyone!  I find it kind of ironic that the recipe I chose this evening included beer...and I don't like beer at all.  Will I drink it just because?  Sure, but I'd much rather prefer a Moscato wine or something fruity.  With beer being one of the ingredients, with the strongest stout Guinness to boot, I thought that I would have an end flavor smothered in alcohol.  Did it happen??  Read on to find out...

Please don't ruin the dish...

I began by heating a nonstick skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil over medium high heat.  Whilst the stovetop of was heating, I spread massaged the steaks with a teaspoon each of mustard.  If a teaspoon doesn't seem like a lot...it will end up being plenty for the steaks.  Season each side with salt and pepper.

Cook the steaks in the skillet for four to six minutes on each side for medium rare, more time for more doneness.  Transfer to a plate and tent with foil (to lock in all those yummy juices) and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.

In a small bowl, mash the flour and room temperature butter - easier to mash that way - and set aside.  Heat the other teaspoon of olive oil in the same skillet over medium high heat.  Crush the garlic directly over the pan and cook for 20 seconds.  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, go over 20 second...you will have charred garlic...and I bet it won't taste good (I'm not speaking from experience here, but I did notice my garlic crisp really fast.)  


Add beef broth and bring to a boil, less than a minute.  Whisk in stout, brown sugar, soy sauce, three teaspoons mustard, and butter mixture.  Boil until reduced to two-thirds cup, or three minutes.  Thinly slice the steaks, drizzle sauce over, serve, and enjoy!

Less like a pan sauce, more like a gravy 

The End Result:

The steak had an amazing flavor, being cooked in Dijon mustard for several minutes.  The pan sauce, which I thought would taste overwhelmingly of alcohol, had none to speak of.  It incorporated all those flavors from the different ingredients (stout, mustard, brown sugar, and soy sauce,) and created something completely unique.  It was a very delicious sauce and it almost looked like a gravy, with the butter and flour as a thickener.  But it was definitely something to stand on its own...and very tasty.


Thank you Maggie! 2011 is off to a great start. I think we have another candidate for a cookbook recipe (two in two days!) Speaking of cookbooks - have you picked up your copy of the Out Of The Culinary Cookbook yet? Why not!? With a collection of over 40 recipes - all hand picked and personally tested by your favorite amateur chefs (US!) you're sure to enjoy this fantastic cookbook! Grab yours today by following the link on the right hand side of the blog or by clicking right HERE.

That's all we have for you tonight. I'm back in the kitchen tomorrow evening with another new recipe. Be sure to stop back tomorrow evening to see what I've got cooking. Until then,

~Cheers