Diary of a Foodie

Steak “Diane”

Diary of a Foodie: Season Two: Fine Fast Food

Serves4
  • Active time:10 min
  • Start to finish:20 min
April 2008
Requiring labor-intensive veal stock and a tableside flambé, this tony restaurant dish is usually impractical for the home cook. But we've found a shortcut you'll love: Using just a bit of puréed black-bean soup creates a wonderfully velvety—and completely convincing—sauce.

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  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 (3/4-inch-thick) flatiron steaks (about 6 oz each)
  • 1 (16- to 19-oz) can black-bean soup
  • 4 scallions, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Madeira
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides. Meanwhile, pat steaks dry and sprinkle both sides with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (total). Cook steaks, turning once, until browned and medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes total.
  • While steaks cook, stir soup in can, then transfer 2/3 cup to a blender (reserve remainder for another use) and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and cook scallions over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in blended soup along with remaining ingredients and any juices from meat and bring to a boil. Spoon some of sauce over steaks and serve remainder on the side.

Recipe by Paul Grimes

Photograph by Stephanie Foley

Keywords
diary of a foodie,
paul grimes,
ten-minute mains,
quick kitchen,
fast food

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