Steak Au Poivre Soup

This is such a good winter dinner. I had a Delmonico steak in the freezer and it was perfect in this recipe.

• Ingredients-
• 1 1/2 tbsp. 

  whole black peppercorns

• 1 (8-oz.) sirloin steaks
  

  Kosher salt  
• 1/2 c. 

  plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 

• 4 tbsp. 

  (1/2 stick) butter

• 1 

  thyme sprig, plus 1 tbsp. chopped leaves

• 1 

  large shallots, 1/2 finely chopped, 1/2 sliced into rings

• 2 tbsp c. 

  all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp c. 

  cognac or brandy 

• 2 1/2 c. 

  low-sodium beef broth

• 3/4 lb. 

  waxy baby potatoes, quartered 

• 1/2 c. 

  heavy cream

• 1 tbsp. 

  Worcestershire sauce

Method-
Grind peppercorns on the coarsest setting of a pepper mill (you can also use a mortar and pestle, or wrap peppercorns in cheesecloth and smash with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet). 

Season steaks on both sides with a generous pinch of salt and crushed peppercorns, pressing peppercorns into the meat. 

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp. of oil until shimmering. 

1. Cook steak, gently pressing to make sure you don’t lose any peppercorns until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. 

1. Flip steak and add butter and thyme sprigs. 

1. Continue to cook, spooning butter over the steak, until tops are crusty and well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 135°, 2 to 3 minutes more. 

1. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest until ready to use. 

1. Strain the remaining fat in the skillet and reserve. 

1. Wipe out any large chunks of pepper from the skillet. 

1. Return reserved fat to the pan, then cook chopped shallot over medium heat, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. 

1. Add chopped thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

1. Add flour and whisk until combined. 

1. Cook, whisking constantly, until flour darkens slightly, about 2 minutes. 

1. Whisk in cognac until smooth, then slowly whisk in broth. 

1. Add potatoes and bring to a simmer. 

1. Cook until potatoes are tender and the soup is thickened, about 15 minutes. 

1. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream and Worcestershire. 

1. Cook, stirring, until warmed through and combined, about 5 minutes more.  

1. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook sliced shallots and remaining 1/2 cup oil, stirring occasionally, until oil begins to bubble around shallots, 2 to 3 minutes.

1. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until shallots are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more.

1. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to a paper towel-lined plate; season with a pinch of salt. 

1. Let cool slightly. 

1. Divide soup among bowls. 

1. Cut steak into cubes, then top bowls with steak and fried shallots. 

Pasta alla Gricia

I got the new Delish magazine in the mail. It is put out by the same people who have the Delish site.

The latest issue is the pasta issue. I find a perfect recipe for a Friday night and begin preparing the recipe. I go to look at the next instruction and this is what I see. A cat, but not the recipe.

Back to the recipe. I was at T & J's today, a local grocery store that has an amazing deli and meat department. Did I look for guanciale? No, of course not!

I had bacon so I used that instead. But next time I will get the guanciale.

This was easy to put together, even while enjoying a well-deserved Martini.

Ingredients-

4 oz. guanciale (bacon), diced into ¼" pieces

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 c. water

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

8 oz. tagliatelle

1 1/2 c. freshly grated Pecorino, divided, plus more for serving

Method-

In a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat, cook the guanciale (bacon),  stirring frequently, until deeply golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale (bacon) to a paper towel-lined plate, keeping the fat in the skillet. Add pepper and stir until fragrant.

Meanwhile, add water and salt to a medium-large pot and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until pliable but not al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Return skillet to medium-low heat. Add 1¾ cups pasta water to the pan and swirl to combine. Add par-cooked pasta and ½ cup Pecorino and stir to coat evenly. Once Pecorino is mostly melted, gradually stir in the remaining 1 cup of Pecorino in 2 batches, adding more pasta water as necessary to keep the sauce silky. Once pasta is al dente, remove from heat and continue stirring gently until sauce is smooth. 

Fold in cooked guanciale (bacon) and serve with more Pecorino.

 

Creamy Parmesan Tomato Tortellini Soup

I follow the Delish cooking site online. Now they have a magazine. This month's issue has 13 folded-down pages!

And as the magazine connects with the website I found the recipe on their site.
Click here to try it!

Dinner received rave reviews. It was easy to prepare and came together in no time. Yes, this will be put in our Autumn/Winter recipe rotation.

Best Ever Swiss Steak

Another first for this weekend. Swiss Steak. I have never made this or eaten this cut of meat. I found a recipe on the Delish site. Best Ever Swiss Steak. No that is the name of the recipe. We loved this. Tender! And the sauce was not bad either. Click here for the recipe.

And we heated up the Mac and Cheese we got from Chapter One last night. Wow. Just Wow!

Lasagna alla Vodka

Happy Valentines Day! And welcome to the season of Lent. Not meat today or for the next few Fridays. Tonight's dinner was really quite good. Only one complaint about the spinach. Other than that we both went back for seconds. The recipe called for heavy cream in the sauce. I decided to omit the cream, I even had it in the fridge. I thought with the ricotta and the mozzarella the added cream was not needed. The sauce was fine without it. I found the recipe on Delish. I recently subscribed to that blog. Here is the link for the original recipe - Click Here.