Pan Roasted New York Steak with Demi-Glace and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Pan Roasted New York Steak with Demi-Glace and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Oh, the irony!

The most popular dish I've ever published on this website is my Chicken with Mushroom Demi-Glace I prepared for #SundaySupper last autumn. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite dish I've ever profiled.

I'm still baffled by it. The recipe is from Chef Robert Irvine who is one of my favorite Food Network personalities, but more than that, the demi-glace is a derivative of an espagnole sauce which is taught in culinary schools. If it's profiled there, I assume it's fundamental which indicates I failed miserably the first time around. The other issue I have is with my garnish. I intended to top it with a small salad but the only thing that made it on the plate was a bit of bacon and a couple of spinach leaves.

I had to rectify this situation.

The Challenge

...can be summed up in one word: Redemption

The Source

I used the method described on page 41 of Think Like a Chef by Tom Colicchio. I used a salad by Alton Brown from foodnetwork.com and a basic demi-glace from Le Cordon Bleu.

Ingredients

8 ounces baby spinach leaves, washed and patted dry with paper towels
2 large hard boiled eggs, sliced thin
1 8-ounce container sliced white mushrooms
8 slices thick-cut bacon
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, sliced thin plus 1 shallot minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 New York steaks
2 sprigs fresh thyme plus 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons cut into small cubes unsalted butter, divided
2 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, crushed with the side of a knife
1 bay leaf

Method

1. Make the salad: Combine the spinach, eggs, mushrooms and sliced shallot in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Fry the bacon until crisp, then remove to a paper towel lined plate and crumble into bits. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat and pour into a small saucepan and set aside separately from the spinach.

2. Roast the steaks: Using the olive oil, steaks, thyme sprigs and 2 tablespoons butter, prepare the steaks as I described in step 2 previously. While you allow for carryover cooking...

3. Prepare the demi-glace and finish the dish: Discard the leftover oil from the pan you roasted the steaks. Place it back over medium heat and add the chopped shallot, beef stock, chopped thyme, red wine, peppercorns and bay leaf. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the fond and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce by about half or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the butter cubes one at a time until melted. Place the saucepan with the bacon fat over low heat. If the fat has solidified, render again then whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and mustard over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss with the spinach and bacon bits. To plate, place the steak off to one side, spoon some demi-glace over it with the salad off to the opposite side. I also served with mashed potatoes.

Successful?

I didn't realize it at the time but the demi-glace I describe above is a bit of a short cut, however it tasted much better than my earlier iteration. The salad was flavorful and complemented the beef well.