10 Ways to Dress a Steak
A Steak Lover’s Guide to dressing your meat with the proper Steak Topping. Unique Steak Toppings to give your dinner a little zip!
We’ve had a really mild winter in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with little to no snow, and temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees most days. Although I like to get one good freeze for the sake of the garden, it’s been pretty nice.
Weather like this means one thing in my family, grilling year-round. Steaks tend to be our go-to meal on a rushed night.
“What’s for dinner, honey?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you pick up a couple steaks on the way home and we’ll just throw them on the grill.”
Sound familiar?
Yet even steak can become a little mundane. …Yes I just said that.
With a few simple ingredients you can turn a plain steak into something really spectacular.
10 Ways to Dress a Steak
- Gremolata. With just 3 items, minced garlic, lemon zest and chopped parsley (or basil, thyme, mint) you have a wonderfully bright steak topping to sprinkle over your plate.
- Compound Butter. Butter smashed with herbs or spices; possibly even the gremolata above. A lovely dollop of compound butter over a steaming steak is a glorious dripping thing.
- Creamy Pan Sauce. So you’ve just seared your steaks in a skillet? Why not add a splash of cognac and cream to the dripping for a quick luxurious sauce? This says smart and sophisticated, every time. (Here’s a fruity rendition.)
- Â Mushrooms. I know, I know, this is the most cliche of all steak toppings, but WELL cooked mushrooms offer an earthy rustic punch. Try sauteing the mushrooms long and low (medium-low heat for 20+ minutes to render out the moisture and create caramelization) with a little butter, salt and pepper and a splash of sherry at the end. Heavenly.
- Crispy Herbs. One Word, Fancy. You want to impress your dinner guests? Flash-fry basil leaves so they look like little pieces of stained glass laying on top of their steak. Super quick with Big Impact.
- Salsa. I’m not talking about runny jarred picante sauce. I’m talking FRESH chunky homemade salsa, piled high atop your filet. Here’s a fantastic creamy avocado salsa verde and a spicy fruit salsa that would work perfectly.
- Creamy Blue Cheese with a Kick. Try pureeing some sour cream, crumbled blue cheese, horseradish and a little honey, for a zingy, spicy steak topping that will have you licking your plate clean!
- Olive Tapenade. Whether you use a store-bought variety or make your own, this briny bite of goodness atop a juicy red steak is a thing of beauty.
- Tomatoes. Oven roasted tomatoes or a quick fresh tomato sauce make any weekday steak taste like a weekend meal to remember.
- Chimichurri. Honest to God, this stuff make everything, EVERYTHING, better. I wouldn’t blame you if you just had to take a sip!
And as a bonus, I’ve got Steak with Pickled Vegetables. Sweet and salty raw veggies make the steak want to do a little dance in your mouth. The smell alone, might make you faint.
Steak Topping: Pickled Veggies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha chile sauce
- 1 English cucumber peeled and sliced thin
- 1 bunch radishes sliced thin
- 1/2 small red onion sliced thin (or one shallot)
Instructions
- Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Microwave for 30-60 seconds to dissolve the sugar. Mix in the Sriracha and allow to cool while slicing veggies.
- Place the thinly sliced veggies in the vinegar mix. Toss and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).
Appealing a lot from the looks itself
Great ideas