This is a rare splurge that's worth every penny. I decided to make a full steakhouse meal with all the usual "steak enhancements" - flavored butter, sauce, side, with a few shortcuts.
First of all, stop waiting half an hour or more for cold butter to soften. you can fully soften a brick-hard cold fridge butter in under half a minute. The trick is to microwave 5 seconds at a time, and keep turning 90 degree in between intervals. Microwaves work essentially in sine waves. By rotating lengthwise in intervals, you're changing the heat direction from up-and-down to front-and-back every few seconds. This will allow even heating, so no part gets too hot while the other parts are cold. You should be able to fully soften your butter in 20~25 seconds, depending on how cold your fridge is. Give it a pinch after 20 seconds to test softness.
Bercy butter is basically bercy sauce in butter form. I'm omitting the white wine and stock, since I'm already making a pan sauce with red wine and beef stock. Plus most of the flavor really comes from the sauted aromatics any way.
Good steak should be cooked room temperature. Like many others, I break this rule often, and it usually turns out fine. But if you shelled out good money for a really prime cut of beef, it's worth doing it right. Just cook it the day you get it from the butcher's, don't even bother sticking it in the fridge, no resting period needed.
It should take no more than 2 minutes of searing per side, let the resting do the rest of the cooking. Do not overcook a good piece of steak. Dry-aged steak should be served on the rarer side, where you can taste the concentrated flavor and delicate texture the most. Error on the side of under than over. You can always throw it back a minute more, you can't undo overcooking.
Lastly, about roasted potatoes - microwave is your friend. It's basically faster, better parboiling. Microwave + pan sear makes the best no-bake potatoes. You get the perfect crusty edge without the wait, the hassle, or the water loss. You can get the potatoes finished while your pan sauce is reducing.
Ingredients:
1 10oz dry-aged NY Strip
1 lb baby potatoes
2 cloves of garlic
coarse sea salt to taste
for the bercy butter:
1 shallot, diced
1/4 chopped parsley
1 stick butter
zest of half a lemon
for the wine sauce:
1 shallot, diced
1/4 cup red wine
3/4 unsalted beef broth
fond from frying pan
Instruction:
Start with the bercy butter: saute diced shallot until semi transluscent; add parsley, cook until softened & fragrant. Add cooked aromatics to softened butter. Grate in lemon zest and squeeze in lemon juice. Mix the butter well. Wrap in saran wrap, tighten both ends to form a log. Chill to harden.
Salt both sides of your room temperature steak. Don't go too heavy handed with the salt since we'll be making a pan sauce later. Add olive oil to pan, heat until oil starts to smoke, sear steak on medium high for 2 minutes per side. Use a pan with good heat retention. Sear until both sides are browned. Remove the steak and let it rest on rack.
Add diced shallot to pan, saute until grease is absorbed. Add red wine; cook until wine is mostly evaporated. Add broth; reduce until sauce is thick. Make sure to use unsalted broth, as reducing will multiply the saltiness.
Meanwhile, chop potatoes into bite sized pieces, and microwave for 3.5~4 minutes. Sear in olive oil with bruised garlic. Cook on medium high until surface is browned.
Return the steak to a hot pan for a quick 10 second sear per side, just to warm up the surface. Slice up the steak and serve on heated plate, with potatoes and bercy butter. Drizzle pan sauce over. Enjoy!
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