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Steak de Burgo

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 12, 2011

Yield

Serves 4

Steak de Burgo

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper 4 center-cut tenderloin steaks, about 1 inch thick (see note)1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic cloves, peeled and halved¼ cup white wine 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces1 tablespoon heavy cream 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Before You Begin

To ensure even cooking, avoid pieces from the tapered end of the tenderloin. Rib-eye or strip steak of similar thickness can be substituted (see instructions below).

Instructions

  1. SEAR MEAT Combine dried oregano, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and rub all over with oregano mixture. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks until well browned and meat registers 125 degrees for medium rare, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to serving platter and tent with foil.
  2. MAKE SAUCE Add garlic cloves to empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 1 minute. Whisk in butter, cream, basil, and fresh oregano and cook about 1 minute. Discard garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meat. Serve.
Steak de Burgo

Steak de Burgo

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
4 center-cut tenderloin steaks, about 1 inch thick (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic cloves, peeled and halved
¼ cup white wine
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
4 center-cut tenderloin steaks, about 1 inch thick (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic cloves, peeled and halved
¼ cup white wine
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
4 center-cut tenderloin steaks, about 1 inch thick (see note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic cloves, peeled and halved
¼ cup white wine
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We found thinner filets worked best in our Steak de Burgo recipe. They were cheaper and easier to cook through on the stovetop. For a great crust, we patted the steaks dry and heated vegetable oil in the skillet until just smoking. Some Steak de Burgo recipes used excessive amounts of garlic and butter. We reduced the garlic to just a few cloves and opted to include butter by the tablespoon instead of the stick. Mincing garlic was a surefire way to get intense flavor from each clove. However, for this recipe we preferred the milder garlic taste we got from halved cloves.

Before You Begin

To ensure even cooking, avoid pieces from the tapered end of the tenderloin. Rib-eye or strip steak of similar thickness can be substituted (see instructions below).

Instructions

  1. SEAR MEAT Combine dried oregano, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and rub all over with oregano mixture. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steaks until well browned and meat registers 125 degrees for medium rare, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to serving platter and tent with foil.
  2. MAKE SAUCE Add garlic cloves to empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 1 minute. Whisk in butter, cream, basil, and fresh oregano and cook about 1 minute. Discard garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meat. Serve.

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