Thus. Let's start off slow.
Every time I cook, I try to duplicate the same environment and situation as a cook would in his station. After all the prep is done and the mis en place set, I envision an order coming in and people sitting outside in my kitchen waiting for their food to come. This has proven to be great practice because it puts you in a mindset where you must be efficient. After all, it's service and customers are waiting.
Speaking of waiting. Next time you go to a restaurant, time how long it takes from when you sit down to when someone comes over and greets you. Now you know how long 2 minutes feel when you're just sitting there doing nothing. That's why your host usually gives you a menu when you sit down.
Last night I make Steak Salad with a shallots and malbec reduction. Took me 15 minutes start to finish. Everything was done to quality (medium rare/sauced strained) and it tasted great. Goes to show that it doesn't take much to make good food. Plus it's actually pretty easy to make.
Which is why I'm perhaps the worst person to dine out with.
Need:
2 10 oz. strips of NY Stripe.
olive oil
Salt
Pepper
shallots
thyme (optional)
lemon
butter
2004 Trapiche Broquel Malbec
Do:
Preheat oven to 450
Pat steaks dry with paper towel
Salt and pepper both sides
Large saute pan. Heat on.
Oil the pan. Wait til hot.
Lay steaks down away from you.
While steaks on in pan (don't touch)
Chop shallots (optional thyme)
When done chopping, check steak and make sure first side is crusty brown.
Turn steak over and put whole pan into the oven to finish.
Spin your salad. (get a spinner)
Put salad in bowl. (no dressing yet)
Steaks comes out. Check quickly for doneness (firmness of the fleshy base of your thumb)
Plate steaks (don't cut)
Take the saute pan with the juice back on the range over high flame.
Toss in shallots (and optional thyme)
Move pan away from flame before pouring in the wine.
Put in butter and juice of half a lemon.
Salt/pepper.
Swirl your sauce around the pan so that the edge kinda sizzles. (speeds up reduction)
When sauce coats the back of a spoon, pour sauce into sieve into a cup.
Dress salad. Plate Salad.
Drizzle sauce over steak.
Serve.
(took me just as long to type the damn thing)
Done right and you probably wouldn't wanna order steaks out for a while.
The Malbec is a big strong almost thick and syrupy wine. I find that it goes well with steak and other heavy red meats.
