This single-skillet supper may sound highbrow (and look the part too), but ...
This single-skillet supper may sound highbrow (and look the part too), but trust us, it’s about as simple as it gets. Perfectly pan searing a succulent cut of steak is one of those essential kitchen skills that every home cook needs in order to whip up an impressive, company-worth meal on the fly or simply to treat yo’self at the end of an exceptionally long day. Topping your seared New York strip steak with a decadent compound butter is another back-pocket trick that is simple to do, but reads incredibly sophisticated/delicious. For this steak skillet, we opted to infuse our butter with vanilla bean and red wine—vanilla brings out the robust flavors of the ruby port and Cabernet, both of which partner beautifully with a tender New York strip. A vegetable medley of mushrooms, asparagus, and shallots quickly sautéed in the flavorful pan drippings makes the perfect side dish to round out this plate, balancing your rich steak and butter sauce. Make this dish once, and we can almost guarantee that butter-basted seared steak + a quick, same-skillet veggie sauté will become a dinner game plan you’ll come back to again and again. Note: You will definitely have leftover compound butter… which is not a bad thing. The butter freezes beautifully and is excellent to have on hand for flavoring veggies, spreading over warm bread, and topping other cooked meats. If you have leftover steak, it makes for one heck of a next-day steak sandwich—especially if you dress toasted bread with a generous smear of your compound butter. If you want to apply this same easy and elegant meal strategy to a slightly more budget-friendly cut of beef, try our Hanger Steak with Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, and Lemon-Herb Butter. And you can find more helpful technique tips for achieving a perfect sear on your steaks right here.
