The start of weekly roommate dinners
September 10, 2009 § Leave a comment
Last night was the first of our roommate dinners and we started off with the steak au poivre I used at the tapas party over the summer as well as some roasted thin asparagus with sharp parmesan. Everything looked so nice with the white porcelain dinnerware, new silverware, and lavendar tablecloth. Plus, I’m still loving the fact that our dinner table is located in the nook we have near the windows, which just makes everything even more cozy.
Assuming that my roomies weren’t just being nice, the dishes were a success despite the fact that the stove top I was cooking the steaks on wasn’t even level. I hope they all get used to being my guinea pigs.
Steak au poivre
4 4 oz. steaks, I used rib eye but New York strip or filet mignon would work beautifully as well
3 tablespoons butter
extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion,thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
minced parsley to garnish
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Pepper the steaks really liberally and salt as well. When butter is melted, turn heat to high and cook steaks. Leave for about 3 minutes. Remember: don’t move the steaks once you’ve placed them in the pan. You want a good caramelized crust to form on the outside and shifting the steak just ruins that. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the meat has a small bit of resistance when press down on the center if you like your meat medium-rare (which is how it should be IMHO). Take out of the pan, cover with foil, and let rest.
Pour excess grease or oil out of the skillet but leave the brown bits on the bottom. Add the remaining butter and stir until melted. Add the water and dijon mustard and stir, all the while scraping up the brown bits, which have all the great flavor from the meat. Add onions and cook until soft. Season to taste.
Spoon sauce over steaks and garnish with the parsley.
Roasted asparagus with parmesan
1 lb green asparagus
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Meanwhile, cut the woody ends off the asparagus spears. On a shallow baking pan, drizzle asparagus with extra virgin olive oil and season with liberal amounts of salt and pepper. Mix the asparagus well and then place in a single layer. Top with the parmesan and roast for about 25 minutes or until the asparagus are slightly brown.
Notes on Food 
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