Rib-Eye Steak With Mushroom Ragu

Bev and I had just returned from Gaffney, SC on Saturday where I attended a super informative two-day class about our RV chassis put on by the Freightliner Custom Chassis folks.  Since we were then leaving on Monday for our first RV rally, we decided we needed to invite friends Joe and Carol over for a margarita and a steak.

We had two 2” thick prime rib-eyes from Mother Earth Meats in the freezer (I’m trying to empty it again).

We also had some mushrooms we needed to use so we opted for a mushroom ragu to go with the beef.  I looked around on the web and found a recipe for Double Mushroom Ragu from Fine Cooking.  Bev adapted it for the mushrooms we had and our taste – just click the link for the original recipe.

Double Mushroom Ragu

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. unsalted butter  

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

20 oz. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Kosher salt             

1/3 cup finely chopped shallot

1/3 cup Cognac

1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh thyme

3/4 cup heavy cream; more for reheating

Freshly ground black pepper

Cornstarch to thicken if needed

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. In a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan, heat 2 Tbs. of the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Add the cremini and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened and released their liquid, 5 to 8 minutes. 
3. Increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring more frequently, until the mushrooms are shrunken and very well browned, 8 to 10 minutes more.

4. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and cook, stirring, until the shallots are softened, 1 to 2 minutes. 

5. Add the Cognac and thyme then cook and stir until most of the liquid evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. 

6.Add the cream and cook until reduced to a saucy consistency, 1 to 2 minutes. 
7. Bev added some cornstarch at this point.
8. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Since we were using such good steaks, I seasoned them with only S&P and a little Montreal Steak Seasoning before cooking reverse sear on the charcoal grill – one to 125* and the other to 135* internal temp. 

Joe, Carol, and Bev sat out in the cool while I grilled.

Since we were all hungry, I didn’t worry too much about presentation - my norm.

We began the meal with a salad of grilled romaine (no shots) then sided the steak with grilled herbed potatoes using a recipe from Epicurious  

Grilled Herbed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 pounds large Yukon Gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes (we used red)

1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs such as parsley, chives, rosemary, and oregano

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (we used lemon infused EVOO)

1 lemon wedge plus additional for serving (omitted)

Preparation:

1. Wash and cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices and cook in a large pot of well-salted boiling water 10 minutes (potatoes will not be cooked through).

2. Meanwhile, stir together herbs, garlic, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow dish.

3. Drain potatoes well and transfer to herb oil, tossing gently to coat.

4. Transfer potatoes to grill, letting excess oil drip into dish (reserve oil in dish). Grill potatoes, covered, turning once or twice, until tender, about 5 minutes total. Return potatoes to dish and toss again with herb oil. Season with salt and serve with lemon wedges.

 My plated shot - I had seconds of the meat and potatoes.  As a kid I didn't like my food to touch and unless I'm really thinking about it, that's still what I do.  This would have looked much better with the meat laying on the taters a little.

Everything was delicious and I especially enjoyed the ragu - it will be made again.  I sampled the meat without sauce and while it was very good, I don’t think my taster can justify the additional cost for prime beef – we had a half-off coupon for these.  Also, the fat between the muscles in a rib-eye doesn’t work as well for this type of presentation as would a filet or strip.

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

10/21/2013 event date