This was a very ambitious dinner to make, but the end result was steak that melted in my mouth served with two exciting side dishes I'd never made before.
The smell of the steak, onions, garlic and thyme was awesome, but be sure to turn on the oven hood fan and maybe even open some windows. About halfway through searing the steak all the smoke detectors in my house went off!
Herb-Roasted Beef Rib-eye with Roasted Shallots
Recipe courtesy of Iron Chef, Geoffrey Zakarian
Total Time: 2 hr 25 min
(yea, this one takes some time and effort)
Prep: 15 min
Inactive: 1 hr 15 min
Cook: 55 min
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
(or in our case 2 servings twice)
Level: Easy
(What? Bullshit, this is a lot of work)
Ingredients
One 2.5-inch-thick boneless rib-eye (1 1/2 pounds), tied with 2 pieces of twine to keep it together in a compact round shape
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
(I used an A1 steak seasoning and it was great!)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 stick of butter
10 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 head garlic, cloves smashed
Roasted Shallots:
Cook these before the steak so you can reduce the heat for the steak.
8 shallots, cut in half through the root, skins left on
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Directions
Roasted Shallots:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Season the baking sheet with the olive oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Lay the shallots on the baking sheet cut-side down. Roast until the shallots are very tender, about 25 minutes.
Steak:
Season the steak rather liberally with kosher salt. Bring it to room temperature, about 1 hour outside of the fridge.
Preheat
(or cool down) the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the paprika, cumin, mustard and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper in a small bowl. Season the steak with the rub.
(I used the A1 rub, just sayin...)
Heat the canola oil in a saute pan over high heat until smoking.
Add the steak and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
 |
| Moment of truth. I am hoping not to burn a $30 piece of steak!! |
Add the butter, thyme, rosemary and garlic.
Reduce the heat to medium low and baste the steak with the butter as it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes (without burning).
 |
| I felt like a real gourmet chef doing this! |
Transfer the steak to a rack in a roasting pan and top with a few pieces of the herbs and garlic and 3 spoonfuls of the butter.
Roast to an internal temperature of 120 degrees F for medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch pieces.
Serve with the roasted shallots.
Sour Cream and Onion Hash Brown Balls
You can make this part ahead and reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.
The online recipe is BS, from a professional restauranteur who doesn't want you to be able to make his trademark dish. Here's how I did it.
Ingredients:
3 Idaho potatoes peeled and shredded (1 potato per 2 hash browns)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 egg
3 tbs flour
1 tbs. EVOO
2 tbs. butter
salt and pepper to taste
4 scallions diced small
2-3 tbs. low fat sour cream
Directions:
Brown the onions in a large skillet with the EVOO and butter.
Heat Canola oil about an inch deep in a large skillet or Dutch oven to screaming hot.
Squeeze as much water out of the potatoes as you can. Use a cheesecloth or just wring them out with your hands and pat dry on paper towels.
Mix potatoes, egg and flour in a large bowl.
Salt and pepper the potatoes liberally.
Grab small handfuls of potatoes and roll them loosely into balls, about 2-3 inches round. Don't pack them tight. Just enough to hold together. Don't try to make perfect balls. Let them have some character, with shreds hanging off.
Drop them carefully into the hot oil. Don't mess with them. Let them fry until golden brown, then gently turn them over to fry the other side.
Remove from oil to drain and cool.
Serve with a spoonful of caramelized onions, a dollop of sour cream, topped with scallions.
