Today we're making fine ding comfort food! We're preparing a flat iron steak two ways with a variation of pommes paolo or pave, a béarnaise sauce and some delicious green asparagus.
The flat iron steak
First remove any membranes, tendons, or fat on the outside. Normally the flat iron steak is a piece of meat that’s used for braising, but by cleaning it this way it’s also a great piece to pan sear. Once the outside is clean cut it in half on or alongside the tendon. When that’s done remove the tendon on both pieces. Then portion the steaks and keep them covered in your fridge for later.
| The flat iron steak trimmings |
1 liter | red wine |
1 liter | beef stock |
8 springs | thyme |
10 grams | cornstarch |
40 grams | water |
Then heat up a big pot, add a splash of oil and start frying the trimmings of the flat iron steak. Once it’s nice and golden deglaze the pan with 1 liter of red wine and reduce this for 90%. Then add 1 liter of beef stock and the leaves from 8 springs of thyme. Let it simmer for at least 8 hours at around 90 / 95 degrees Celsius. Once’s it’s done mix 10 grams of cornstarch with 40 grams of water and while mixing add it to the stew. This will bind the liquid a little bit. Then transfer it into a bowl and keep it covered in your fridge for later.
The potato
150 grams | butter |
12 | big waxy potatoes |
For that first melt the butter. Meanwhile peel the potatoes. Then cut them in thin slices on a mandolin. Now transfer the slices on a tray and season them with salt and the melted butter. Mix this so the slices are seasoned on all sides. Then take a metal container and cover it with parchment paper. Now lay your potato slices in the container. Then cover it with another layer of parchment paper and bake it at 110 degrees Celsius for 3 hours. Once that’s done put another container on top and put something heavy on top like this pan filled with water. Then let it set overnight in your fridge. After that get your chilled potato and remove it from the container. Trim the sides and then cut it into the desired shape. Transfer it onto a metal tray and keep it in your fridge for later.
The mushroom cream
400 grams | mushrooms |
2 | shallots |
500 grams | beef stock |
20 grams | sushi vinegar |
First chop the mushrooms. Now cut the shallots in half, clean them, and chop them. Then heat up a frying pan, add a splash of oil and caramelize the shallots with a generous amount of salt. Once they start to color add your chopped mushrooms and fry everything till golden. After that deglaze it with the beef stock and the sushi vinegar. Now let this reduce for 90%. Then transfer it into a blender and blend it till smooth. Once it’s smooth add a touch of Xanthan powder to bind the liquids a bit so the cream doesn’t separate. Now give it a taste for seasoning and then transfer it into a piping bottle.
The fried mushroom
Take a couple of beautiful mushrooms and cut them in half, then score them on the flat side. Now heat up a frying pan, add a splash of oil and fry the mushrooms flat side down till golden with some salt. Once golden add a knot of butter with 3 springs of thyme. Now let this caramelize. Then turn them around and start basing the top. After that transfer them onto a metal tray.
The green asparagus
Take a bunch of them and cut them to the desired size. The trimmings you can keep for later. Now there are two ways to clean them. You can use the tip of your knife to remove the small leaves, or you can make a small incision all around and gently peel away the skin. I prefer this way. Then season some boiling water with salt and blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes. Now cool them down in ice water. Once chilled lay them next to the mushrooms on the tray and keep it in your fridge for later.
The bearnaise
500 grams | white wine |
| The asparagus trimmings |
5 springs | thyme |
300 grams | sushi vinegar |
6 grams | salt |
80 grams | white wine vinegar |
4 springs | tarragon |
Pour the white wine into a saucepan together with the asparagus trimmings, the thyme, the sushi vinegar, the salt and the white wine vinegar. Now reduce till 50%. Then put it through a fine sieve. After that clean the tarragon and chop the leaves.
80 grams | reduced asparagus liquid |
70 grams | egg yolk |
100 grams | cold cubes of butter |
Pour the reduced asparagus liquid into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then while mixing add the egg yolks and directly start beating the mixture on a medium heat till fluffy and firm. Once that’s done, turn of the heat and add the cold cubes of butter. Then season with some pepper, the chopped tarragon and when necessary, some salt. Now keep it covered for later.
How to pan sear the beef and finish the dish
First season it with salt on all sides. Then heat up a frying pan, add a splash of oil and fry the steak on both sides till golden. Once it has some color add a knot of butter, let this caramelize and base the steak for 30 seconds. Cook it for 12 more minutes at 110 degrees Celsius and then let it rest for 15 minutes. While the beef is resting start deep frying your potato at 180 degrees Celsius till nice and golden. Now you can also heat up your cream, the beef stew, and vegetables. Now season with some salt. Then we can start to plate. First pipe a line of the cream on a plate and put your crispy potato on top. Now pipe the hot cream on the potato and put the mushroom and the green asparagus on top. I decorate it with some greens and then slice the meat. Always slice against the grain. Then put a tablespoon of the beef stew on the plate and put your meat on top. And now finish it off with the hot bearnaise sauce.
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