Coulotte Steak With Dried Berry-mushroom Beurre Rouge
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe was created to pair with a 1995 Livermore Valley Cellars (lvcwines.com) Cabernet Sauvignon.
I entered a wine and food pairing contest (Pairing of Food, Wine, Talent and Technique) as 14 competing California Culinary Academy students joined with the 14 wineries in Livermore Valley, CA.
This recipe earned me second place in the competition, gave me the opportunity to perform several public demonstrations (celebrity chef style), preparing my dish and I made some lifelong friends.
Brief description: Coulotte Steaks (cross cut Tri-Tip) are pan seared. Pan is deglazed with wine. Reconstituted dried fruits, demi-glace, reduced cream with mushrooms are added and sauce is finished with cold butter.
Ingredients You'll Need
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/4 c dried cherries
1 1/2 c Cabernet Sauvignon
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 T vegetable oil
12 2oz Coulotte steaks (1/4-1/3 in thick)
1 shallot, minced
1/2 c demi-glace
4 T butter, unsalted, cold, cut into small pieces
1 T Parsley, fresh, chopped
1 t Thyme, fresh, chopped
to taste Salt & Pepper
Directions
To reconstitute berries-place the cherries, cranberries and one cup of wine in a small non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
Place sliced mushrooms and cream in a medium non-reactive saucepan. Bring cream to a simmer and reduce by half (this should take about 15 min.).
Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Place steaks in skillet and cook for 1/2-1 1/2 minutes per side or until browned.
Remove steaks and hold on a hot platter. Add shallot to skillet and cook until translucent. Deglaze the pan with remaining wine. Add berries, demi-glace and cream mixture to pan.
When sauce is thick and bubbly, slowly stir in cold butter until incorporated. Add salt & pepper to taste. Place steaks on warm plates, top with sauce and sprinkle with herbs.
Suggestions for preparation: reconstituting berries may be done ahead of time and kept refrigerated for several days. The cream is best if reduced just prior to use and kept warm. 2 c unsalted canned beef stock reduced to 1/2 c may be used as a demi-glace substitute. Have warm plates ready as this has a very short cooking time
Note: In the photo the steaks were served with a potato-sweet potato tower, asparagus,and topped with a lavender creme fraiche. The picture was taken at the end of the competition, so the dish had been sitting for about an hour and a half.
