On the Menu — June 24
Today on Butcher Block’s menu board are Scallops with Citrus Ginger Sauce and Pan-Seared Steaks with Red Wine Sauce.
Bon appétit!
Scallops with Citrus Ginger Sauce
Scallops that are easy, fresh, pan-seared, perfectly golden and topped with a sweet and tangy citrus ginger sauce.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 1/2 lb sea scallops
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp butter, or ghee
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh thyme, for garnish
Method:
Pat your scallops dry with a paper towel and sprinkle them with sea salt.
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is nearly smoking, place your scallops in the pan and sear for approximately one-and-a-half to two minutes on each side. Remove scallops to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the orange and lemon juice, orange zest, grated ginger and butter to the pan. Whisk the sauce together in the pan until it’s simmering, then add the scallops back to the pan and spoon the sauce on top.
Plate your scallops, drizzle more sauce on top and garnish with thyme.
Pan-Seared Steaks with Red Wine Sauce
Technique is the secret to perfectly cooked steaks. Season them liberally, let them sear, baste them with butter and let them rest. These easy steps will result in perfectly cooked meat every time. And, you can make a delicious sauce in the same pan while the meat is resting.
Ingredients:
For steak
2 8- to 10-ounce sirloin steaks, about 3/4- to 1-inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil
Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, roughly smashed
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cubed
For pan sauce
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet or Malbec
1/3 cup beef stock
3 tbsp butter
Method:
For the steak:
Remove steaks from the refrigerator and let rest to come to room temperature and then dry with paper towels.
Season the steaks liberally with kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper on all sides and press into meat. Let seasoned meat rest for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Place a skillet over high heat.
When pan is extremely hot, pour in approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons of canola oil and shake pan to make sure entire bottom of skillet is coated.
When oil begins to smoke slightly, using tongs, carefully lay the steaks into the pan, laying them down away from you (to avoid oil spatters).
Press down slightly on meat. Let steak sear, without moving it, for roughly 2 minutes until a golden brown crust develops, then drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil into the pan. The crust will form and then detach from the bottom of the pan.
Using tongs, carefully flip steak and let cook for another two minutes. Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil on and around the meat.
After the crust has formed, set both of the steaks on the fat strip that runs along the side of the sirloin. You can set them side-by-side against the edge of the pan if it has a high enough edge, or hold them on their ends using the tongs. Render off this fat for roughly 60-90 seconds. Tilt the pan towards the steaks so the oil and hot fat will continue to baste and cook the meat. Then set steaks down flat, side by side in pan.
Add the smashed garlic cloves and approximately 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Tilt pan to make sure the oil touches all of the meat. Add rosemary and thyme. You can again add an additional drizzle of olive oil.
Add butter to the pan, a few chunks at a time, placing them on either side of the steaks, above them, between them and below. As the butter begins to melt, bubble and brown, give the pan a swirl, tilting slightly towards you so that all of the melted butter and juice collects towards you in the skillet.
Using a spoon, thoroughly baste the steak with the butter and juices at the bottom of the pan. Carefully flip the steaks and repeat, basting frequently.
While basting, using tongs, periodically brush the steaks with the herbs and garlic from the pan. The steaks can then be basted with the herbs and garlic on top. Flip the steaks and repeat, brushing the surface with garlic and herbs and basting over them (during the basting process, continually check the surface tension of the meat to check the doneness. Use the palm of your hand as a gauge: soft part of the thumb is rare, moving towards the finger is medium-rare and well done is down by your wrist.)
When a crust has formed, and you have a soft texture with a little bit of resistance, ideally medium-rare, turn off the heat, and remove the steaks from the skillet, placing them on a cutting board.
Place fried herbs and garlic on top of steak, drizzle steaks with pan drippings and cover loosely with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
For the pan sauce:
Using the pan in which the steaks were cooked earlier, pour off all but 2 teaspoons of fat and the flavourful browned bits adhering to the bottom, and place over medium-high heat.
Using a wooden spatula, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and, stirring constantly, add finely chopped shallots and garlic.
Add 1 cup of red wine and keep stirring and reducing the sauce.
Continuing to stir, add beef stock (you can also use a quarter cup of beef stock and add whatever reserved steak juices you have).
Add the butter, reduce heat to medium and keep stirring so the butter does not break.
To serve:
Slice the steaks against the grain and serve with pan sauce drizzled over the meat or on the side.
Recipes from: www.downshiftology.com & www.today.com