Steak Diane
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 13, 2011
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Sauce Base
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 teaspoons tomato paste 2 small onions, chopped medium (about 1 ⅓ cups)1 medium carrot, chopped medium (about ½ cup)4 medium cloves garlic, peeled¼ cup water 4 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups dry red wine 3 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth 1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 teaspoons black peppercorns 8 sprigs fresh thyme 2 bay leavesSteaks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 strip steaks (about 12 ounces each), trimmed of all excess fat and pounded to even ½-inch thicknessSalt and ground black pepperSauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)¼ cup Cognac 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons minced fresh chivesBefore You Begin
If you prefer not to make the sauce base, mix 1/2 cup glace de viande with 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup red wine and use this mixture in place of the base in step 4. For this recipe, use a traditional skillet. The steaks leave behind more fond (browned bits) than they do in a nonstick skillet, and more fond means a richer, more flavorful sauce. A superb embellishment for Steak Diane is a drizzle of white truffle oil just before serving. If you do not wish to flambé, simmer the cognac in step 2 for 10 to 15 seconds for a slightly less sweet flavor profile.
Instructions
- For the Sauce Base: Heat oil and tomato paste in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, until paste begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add onions, carrot, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is reddish brown, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is well browned, about 3 minutes, adding remaining water when needed to prevent scorching. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and, using a heatproof rubber spatula, scrape up browned bits on bottom and sides of pot; bring to boil, stirring occasionally (mixture will thicken slightly). Add beef and chicken broths, peppercorns, thyme, and bay; bring to boil and cook, uncovered, occasionally scraping bottom and sides of pot with spatula, until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; you should have about 1 1/4 cups.
- For the steaks: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, season steaks with salt and pepper. Place 2 steaks in skillet and cook until well browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Following illustrations below, flip steaks and weight with heavy-bottomed pan; continue to cook until well browned on second side, about 1 1/2 minutes longer. Transfer steaks to large platter and tent with foil. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and repeat with remaining steaks; transfer second batch of steaks to platter.
- For the sauce: Off heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and shallots to now-empty skillet; using skillet's residual heat, cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are slightly softened and browned, about 45 seconds. Add cognac; let stand until cognac warms slightly, about 10 seconds, then set skillet over high heat. Using chimney match, ignite cognac; shake skillet until flames subside, then simmer cognac until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 10 seconds. Add sauce base and mustard; simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in butter; off heat, add Worcestershire sauce, any accumulated juices from steaks, and 1 tablespoon chives. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Set steaks on individual dinner plates, spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over each steak, sprinkle with chives, and serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Sauce Base
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 small onions, chopped medium (about 1 ⅓ cups)
1 medium carrot, chopped medium (about ½ cup)
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup water
4 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups dry red wine
3 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Steaks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 strip steaks (about 12 ounces each), trimmed of all excess fat and pounded to even ½-inch thickness
Salt and ground black pepper
Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ cup Cognac
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce Base
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 small onions, chopped medium (about 1 ⅓ cups)
1 medium carrot, chopped medium (about ½ cup)
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup water
4 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups dry red wine
3 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Steaks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 strip steaks (about 12 ounces each), trimmed of all excess fat and pounded to even ½-inch thickness
Salt and ground black pepper
Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ cup Cognac
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce Base
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 small onions, chopped medium (about 1 ⅓ cups)
1 medium carrot, chopped medium (about ½ cup)
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup water
4 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups dry red wine
3 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Steaks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 strip steaks (about 12 ounces each), trimmed of all excess fat and pounded to even ½-inch thickness
Salt and ground black pepper
Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ cup Cognac
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a streamlined Steak Diane recipe with the best cut of steak, a foolproof method for cooking it, a quicker stock, and a leaner sauce. We chose flavorful strip steaks and pounded them to a ½-inch thickness for even browning; made a veal stock substitute using tomato paste, vegetables, red wine, and canned broth; and used this faux veal stock to make the sauce right in the pan in which we cooked the steak, adding cognac and just 2 tablespoons of butter. With these modifications, we were able to get our new Steak Diane recipe on the table in less than an hour.
Before You Begin
If you prefer not to make the sauce base, mix 1/2 cup glace de viande with 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup red wine and use this mixture in place of the base in step 4. For this recipe, use a traditional skillet. The steaks leave behind more fond (browned bits) than they do in a nonstick skillet, and more fond means a richer, more flavorful sauce. A superb embellishment for Steak Diane is a drizzle of white truffle oil just before serving. If you do not wish to flambé, simmer the cognac in step 2 for 10 to 15 seconds for a slightly less sweet flavor profile.
Instructions
- For the Sauce Base: Heat oil and tomato paste in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, until paste begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add onions, carrot, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is reddish brown, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is well browned, about 3 minutes, adding remaining water when needed to prevent scorching. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and, using a heatproof rubber spatula, scrape up browned bits on bottom and sides of pot; bring to boil, stirring occasionally (mixture will thicken slightly). Add beef and chicken broths, peppercorns, thyme, and bay; bring to boil and cook, uncovered, occasionally scraping bottom and sides of pot with spatula, until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; you should have about 1 1/4 cups.
- For the steaks: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, season steaks with salt and pepper. Place 2 steaks in skillet and cook until well browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Following illustrations below, flip steaks and weight with heavy-bottomed pan; continue to cook until well browned on second side, about 1 1/2 minutes longer. Transfer steaks to large platter and tent with foil. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and repeat with remaining steaks; transfer second batch of steaks to platter.
- For the sauce: Off heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and shallots to now-empty skillet; using skillet's residual heat, cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are slightly softened and browned, about 45 seconds. Add cognac; let stand until cognac warms slightly, about 10 seconds, then set skillet over high heat. Using chimney match, ignite cognac; shake skillet until flames subside, then simmer cognac until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 10 seconds. Add sauce base and mustard; simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in butter; off heat, add Worcestershire sauce, any accumulated juices from steaks, and 1 tablespoon chives. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Set steaks on individual dinner plates, spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over each steak, sprinkle with chives, and serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.
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