Name: Steak Diane
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 teaspoons tomato paste; 2 small onions, chopped medium (about 1 1/3 cups); 1 medium carrot, chopped medium (about 1/2 cup); 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled; 1/4 cup water; 4 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups dry red wine; 3 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth; 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 2 teaspoons black peppercorns; 8 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 strip steaks (about 12 ounces each), trimmed of all excess fat and pounded to even 1/2-inch thickness; Salt and ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons); 1/4 cup Cognac; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold); 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Steak Diane

By America's Test Kitchen

Published 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 leaves

Steaks

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 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

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.