"Bistro cooking is good, traditional food, earnestly made and honestly displayed..." -David Liederman, NY restaurateur Happy New Year to one and all! I hope 2016 has been kind and full of grace for all of you as it begins. So far so good in our camp, thank goodness. 2015 was a rough one, so I am really striving for a bit more (ok, actually a LOT more) smooth sailing this year (fingers crossed, but more importantly, action being taken). My son is home from college for just a couple more days. This break went far too fast for my liking (insert sad face here). I started developing this next recipe with him in mind, but really all of us, except me to be honest, are die-hard beef lovers. My first attempt was very good, but not quite right, so I tweaked it a bit and finally came up with what I think is the perfect steak burger. It tastes just like steak, but at a fraction of the cost for 4 servings, as the ground up steak is combined with lean ground beef. What takes it to the next level is serving it like steak with a pan sauce reduction including sauteed mushrooms and shallots. We still serve it with fries though to keep that casual bistro vibe going. Let me know how you like it! Bistro Steak Burger- makes 4 1 lb rib-eye steak, ground (ask your butcher-will yield slightly less than one pound ground) 1 1/4 lbs. lean (90%) ground beef 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup sliced shallots 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or red wine 1 1/4 cups beef broth, low-sodium 2 heaping tablespoons beef demi glace (optional)* 2 tablespoons freshly minced Italian parsley leaves Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper 1. Combine ground steak and ground beef in a medium sized bowl. Gently mix the two until well combined. Try not to compress it as you mix. 2. Gently form into 4 large patties (of course you can make them smaller and get more burgers out of it, adjust cooking time accordingly). With your index finger, poke a hole through the middle of each burger (this will help them retain thier shape while cooking). Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper. 3. In a heavy bottomed or cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil over medium heat until oil is sizzling but not smoking. Carefully place burgers into skillet. 4. Cook burgers about 4-6 minutes per side, depending on level of doneness desired, turning once (an instant read thermometer would be best for most accuracy).We like our burgers medium. I don't recommend cooking these to well done for best results. 7. Saute the mushroom and shallots with a pinch of salt and pepper until wilted, stirring often. Add in the vinegar or wine and cook until nearly evaporated, stirring, being sure to scrape up any of the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. 8. Pour in the broth and stir in the demi-glace. Bring to a boil. Continue to cook until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. 9. Plate the burgers, spooning desired amount of pan sauce over the top. Sprinkles each with fresh parsley and serve immediately. * Demi-Glace is a pricey ingredient but it lends a world of flavor that can't really be imitated any other way. You can order it on-line or perhaps your local gourmet grocer carries it. I have also found it frozen in the meat department at Whole Foods and scoop out what I need straight from the freezer. You can then use any left-over demi-glace for other pan sauces, stews or braises to add tons of flavor.
2 Comments
Mark Pojar
1/8/2016 09:04:45 pm
Looks amazing!!!!
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1/13/2016 03:28:34 pm
Thanks so much Mark! I appreciate you stopping by! : )
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