Steak Enthusiast

I’m continuing with the “I don’t want to go outside to grill so how can I stay inside and have steak?” theme today.

I’m looking out my window again and there are three inches of snow piled up on my lawn. That’s enough to keep even the most dedicated grillers inside.

So, here’s an incredible recipe for Steak Au Poivre that can be found over at epicurious.com.

This is an all-time favorite of serious steak lovers. It’s all done inside the house on your stovetop. Hooray! And it calls for strips like these. But if you prefer filets, go for it!

You’ll find the recipe here. And don’t forget to check out the comments section there to see what other people thought when they tried the recipe. It’s always nice to know that a recipe is not just for chefs. Real families make this one — and they don’t even have to go to France to train!

Bon Appetit!

This may fall into the TMI category (too much information), but I feel like we’re friends now.  So I can share.

This past Friday, my youngest son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. We spent three days in the hospital getting his blood sugar under control and learning, as parents, how to manage his diet, his multiple daily blood tests and insulin shots.

Boy, was this an awakening. My son is 3.

We also did a fair amount of crying.

My husband and I are now in charge of keeping our son’s insulin function running smoothly. This is quite a responsibility. And one I’ve taken for granted as just something that happens in my own body on its own.

I’ve become quite educated these past 4 days in the maze that is the diabetic diet. And, friends, I’m happy to tell you, steak is A-okay.

For the Type 1 diabetes my son has, he must adhere to a constant carbohydrate diet. Meaning he must eat between a certain range of carbs per meal or snack. Steak and meats are 0 carbs.

Yes!

That made me so happy to know that when my son is old enough, he can share the joy of a good steak with his old man and his mom. (His palate is not quite there yet. But if genetics have anything to do with it, he’ll be a huge steak fan in due time.) It really is funny the things that pop into your mind when you’re trying to wrap your head around what a startling diagnosis like this means.

You just want some normalcy. And you don’t want for your child to miss out on any of life’s joys.

And, speaking of steak, I dreamed of it every night in the 30 minutes of sleep I was allotted in between shots and blood work and vital signs and various other noises on the floor.

I spent the three days in the hospital avoiding the food, while smiling and encouraging my son to eat every bite of it. A big, juicy steak was all I could think of when I closed my eyes at night.

A woman cannot live on Dr Pepper and packaged peanut butter crackers alone.

We finally busted out of the hospital on Sunday night. And there are 4 sirloin steaks in my freezer calling my name.

I’m going grill them up this week and celebrate with my husband our being on the other side of a very trying time.

It’s good to be home!

For your weekend dining pleasure, here’s a fun filet recipe featuring the exquisite avocado.

This recipe is recommended cooked to medium.

Grilled Filet with Avocado Buerre Blanc
(serves four)
4 6oz. Filet Mignon
1 Cup dry white wine
½ Cup white wine vinegar
1 Shallot minced
1 Stick cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
½  Ripe Avocado

Season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper and place on the grill, after three minutes turn a quarter turn.  After three more minutes flip and after three more minutes, one more quarter turn and cook for a final three minutes. This will give your steaks perfect “cross-hatch” grill marks and a medium steak.

Using a fork or food processor, mash the avocado into a smooth paste. Put vinegar, wine and shallot in a small sauce pan and reduce over high flame until only a ¼ cup of liquid remains. Remove from flame. Strain out the shallot and dispose. Return the liquid to the pan and add the cold butter a piece or two at a time and whisk to melt evenly. Once the butter is incorporated, add the avocado and stir to create a smooth and creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little white wine. Strain out any lumps and serve with the grilled filets.