Steak with Madeira and double-mushroom sauce

prep time:: 10 min
total time:: 25 min

Makes 2 servings

One of my absolute favourite recipes. The sauce is rich and delicious, and the steaks come out perfectly cooked every time. Add some garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus and it is an excellent, romantic meal for two.

ingredients

0.5oz (14 g) pkg dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms
10oz (284 mL) can undiluted beef broth
1/4lb (125 g) fresh shiitake mushrooms
2 (8- to 10-oz/250- to 300-g) rib-eye or New York strip loin steaks, each about 1-1/2 inches (3.5 cm) thick
Pinches of salt and ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
1tbsp (15 mL) butter
1/2cup (125 mL) Madeira

directions

1
1. Rinse dried mushrooms. Place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add broth. Microwave, uncovered, on high 2 minutes or heat mixture in a saucepan. Let stand at room temperature while preparing steaks. If you have time, let stand up to 24 hours (mushrooms will be softer).
2
2. Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Discard stems from fresh mushrooms, then thickly slice caps. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Coat a large frying pan with oil and set over high heat. Add steaks and cook until well browned, about 2 minutes per side. Immediately remove steaks to rack on baking sheet. Then roast in centre of preheated oven 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare steaks. If steaks are thinner than 1-1/2 inches (3.5 cm), check after 4 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer into side of steak. It should read between 135F and 140F (57C and 60C) and steak should have a slight springiness when pressed.
3
3. While steaks are roasting, return frying pan to burner over medium-high heat. Add butter. When melted, add fresh mushrooms. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stir often until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Then pour in Madeira. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up and stir in any brown bits from bottom of pan.
4
4. Stir in broth with dried mushrooms. Increase heat to high. Boil, stirring often, until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup (250 mL), 6 to 8 minutes. Place cooked steaks on warm plates. Spoon sauce overtop.

Source: Justine