Pan-fried Sirloin Steak with Simple Chianti Butter Sauce and Olive Oil Mash

By Karena

My Valentine's Day present was traveling the road from Reno to San Francisco (negotiating the treacherous I-80 through Lake Tahoe with chains) to be home in time to plan and prepare a wonderful dinner with my husband.  After a month on the road, getting "sauced" with my better half and creating a culinary masterpiece (using the predictable Jamie Oliver recipe) was the the perfect ending to a long trip that I shan't repeat anytime soon. 

We had a "meat, starch, vegetable" composition in mind, probably because last year, Dave surprised me with a perfectly seared lamb chop over a bed of sauteed greens and a white bean mash, initiating a Valentine's Day tradition.  So we turned to Jamie Oliver...Pork belly with braised fennel?...Rack of lamb with potato and cauliflower dauphinois?  How about a Pan-fried sirloin with a red-wine reduction and mashed potatoes seasoned with parmesan, olive oil and butter?  Vegetable TBD.

To Market...San Francisco's Ferry Building Farmer's Market was a sight for sore eyes.  We got a little off track standing in line for Blue Bottle Coffee, and then at the Primavera tent for Chiliquiles and Carnitas tostadas.  Samples of sweet Blood Oranges called out to us, and so we returned to the car with three blood oranges, three navel oranges, full stomachs, and nothing for dinner.

To Berkeley...Monterey Market is bustling...bordering on obnoxious, on Saturdays, but spending $14.00 on produce for the WEEK makes it well worth the elbows and eccentric clientele.  A pound of Yukon Gold potatoes, a bunch of arugula, a bouquet of fresh greens (and purples) mixed by yours truly, a pound of Brussels sprouts, watercress, thyme, tarragon (for seafood stew), golden raspberries (for homemade waffles Sunday morning), pears for salad, limes for gin and tonics, and plenty of shallots ought to do the trick.

To Andronico's...Although Andronico's are a dime a dozen in the East Bay, they're good little supermarkets and usually have very fresh meat and seafood.  We splurged on a 1-lb Niman Ranch Sirloin cut, picked up some bleu cheese for later in the week, and moved on to the last stop. 

To Vintage...Vintage Berkeley is our favorite wine shop.  http://www.vintageberkeley.com.   They are housed in an old Municipal Pump Station turned boutique, specialize in small labels under $25, and have tastings every weekend.  Dave and I also made a friend in one of their wine experts - the lovely Hannah Hoffman, who is living my dream as a Food Anthropologist.  We met snickering over the "Band-aid Lady of Berkeley", (don't ask) and hit it off right away.  At Vintage, we collected a Zinfandel (Jamie's pairing suggestion), A Bleu Franc from Washington, and a Gros Manseng for a potential pesto later in the week.

 

NOW for the cooking. :)  We popped open the Zinfandel because we were thirsty after all the hunting and gathering, and because we assumed correctly that we would end up using it instead of Chianti for the reduction.  

Pan-Fried Sirloin Steak With Simple Chianti (Zinfandel) Butter Sauce and Olive Oil Mash: (Adapted from Jamie Oliver's recipe in Cook With Jamie).

For the Mashed Potatoes:

• 14 oz. potatoes, peeled and halved
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive oil
• A small handful of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• A knob of butter

For the Rest:

• 2 x 7 oz Sirloin Steaks, 1-inch thick, fat scored
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive Oil
• 2 knobs of butter
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely diced
• A few sprigs of Thyme
• 1 large wineglass of Chianti/Zinfandel that you've been drinking
• A few sprigs of watercress
• Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Put the potatoes into a large pan of salted water, bring to a boil and simmer until soft and tender.  Drain them in a colander and allow them to sit for 4 minutes to steam away any excess moisture.  Return the potatoes to the pan and mash them up, stirring in a large glug of olive oil, the Parmesan and butter. Taste, season, and then transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place over a pot of simmering water to keep warm.

2. Heat a heavy frying pan, large enough to cook both the steaks at once without them touching.  Season your steaks and brush them with olive oil.  Using a pair of tongs, hold the steaks fatty-edge down in the frying pan to render and color the fat.  When the fat is golden, fry the steaks for 8 minutes in total for medium-rare, turning them every minute.  Remove from the pan to rest.

3.Turn the heat down and add a knob of butter to the pan.  Fry your shallots and thyme for 4 minutes, then add the wine and reduce by half.  Pour in the resting juices from the meat, add the 2 remaining knobs of butter and take the pan off the heat.  Stir around to emulsify and make a really simple red wine sauce.  Taste, season and serve with your steak and lovely olive oil mashed potatoes with a scattering of watercress and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Simple Sauteed Spinach:

We had some left-over spinach in the refrigerator and decided to put it to good use.  This is one of the easiest side vegetable dishes to make.

• 1 lb Spinach leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive Oil
• 1-2 garlic clove(s), diced
• A splash of Shao Xing Cooking wine or Rice Vinegar

1. Heat the oil in a saute pan until smoking
2. Saute the garlic in the oil until cooked
3. Throw the spinach leaves in the pan in batches until wilted
4. Season with salt and pepper and splash in the Shao Xing wine to taste.  Take off the heat and enjoy immediately!