Day 11: Steak Frites with Shallot Pan Reduction

Tonight was a quick dinner. I still can't give an estimate on pricing because these petite sirloins came out of my freezer. Last month the grocery store had a sale on sirloin steaks- buy one package, get one free. For 1 pound of sirloin it was about $8 but I got the 2 for 1 special. The only thing I didn't like about this meal, and Taylor would probably agree is the steak was too tough. Maybe I should have marinated it first but I didn't have time for that. It was still pretty tasty. I don't have the right nutritional information, because the steak is supposed to be accompanied by steak frites (french fries) which I substituted with steamed broccoli (no butter or other fats added). I"ll go ahead and post the original recipe since that's all I've got. It will take longer to make this if you add on the fries.

Steak Frites with Shallot Pan Reduction

Ingredients

• 1 3/4  pounds  baking potatoes (about 2 large potatoes), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch sticks
• Cooking spray
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
• 2  teaspoons  chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 1  pound  boneless sirloin steak, trimmed
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped shallots (shallots are better but you can use finely chopped onions if necessary like I did tonight bc I didn't have time to go to Whole Foods)
• 2  tablespoons  brandy
• 3/4  cup  less-sodium beef broth
• 1  tablespoon  Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  butter

Preparation

1. Position 1 oven rack on the highest setting. Position another rack on the lowest setting.
2. Preheat oven to 450°.
3. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on baking sheets. Coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bake at 450° for 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring potatoes and rotating pans halfway through. Toss potatoes with 1 teaspoon thyme.
4. Heat a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of steak with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add steak to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; keep steak warm.
5. Add shallots to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add brandy; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add beef broth, Dijon mustard, and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 3 minutes). Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add butter, stirring with a whisk.
6. Slice steak. Serve with shallot pan reduction sauce and potatoes.

Nutritional Information

Calories:347 (fewer without the fries) Fat: 6.8g (sat 2.7g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.4g)

Protein:28.9g Carbohydrate: 37.7g Fiber: 2.7g Cholesterol: 73mg Iron:4.9mg

Sodium:612mg Calcium: 39mg

 

 

 

::Tip of the Day:: Make use of your leftover herbs. When a recipe calls for fresh herbs, go ahead and buy them and freeze the rest! You'll need an ice cube tray or two. Rinse the herbs and break into smaller pieces if necessary to fit inside 1 cube. Place in ice cube tray, pour water over, and freeze. Once they're frozen, pop the herb cubes out and place in a freezer safe bag or container. Whenever you need to use, just pull out and defrost under hot water (only takes like 20 seconds)

 

I read this tip one time. I am always pulling these herbs out of my freezer. You usually don't use a whole package of herbs so it goes to waste but now you have a plan. I currently have thyme, rosemary, mint, parsley, and dill in my freezer. 2 herbs I still need to try that I use a lot are sage and basil. I don't think the basil will freeze as well but we'll have to see!