“Did you ever see the customers in health-food stores? They are pale, skinny people who look half dead. In a steak house, you see robust, ruddy people. They’re dying, of course, but they look terrific.”
The wise words of Mr Bill Cosby (still touring) and the 8oz rump sat in my cooler were invitation enough to go rich or go home, no half way point, no celebration of culinary mediocrity, the whole hog, or cow for that matter. I think that’s the great thing about eating a steak; there’s something intrinsically masculine, nay (moo) empowering about using a specially provided knife to cut into a great slab of meat, and watching the blood, that only days earlier was coursing through a methane machine somewhere in the home counties, ooze out and meander across your plate. “I am a man!” I think to myself, “And I shall eat this beast.”
Not only does red meat massively increase your libido, pulling power and general masculinity, it is also a source of zinc that is important for your immune system, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and selenium, all of which produce a squeaky pop, and it has been shown that a diet based on lean red meat can aid in weight loss. So for those of you Mr Cosby is talking about, why not try, at least once a week (or perhaps on a rare occasion), to tuck into a sumptuous sirloin, a tender T-bone, a revelatory rib eye or even the phenomenal filet mignon. In terms of health, the steaks really aren’t that high.
Ingredients: (Serves 2)
2 x 8oz rump steaks
1 small glass dry white wine
8 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
150g cup mushroom, destalked, finely sliced
Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Sprig of thyme
150ml double cream
50g Swiss Gruyere cheese, finely grated
50g Saint Agur blue cheese, broken into bits
Butter
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Method:
1. In a thick bottomed pan/skillet heat a splash of olive oil with a tspn of butter over a medium to high heat until it begins to sizzle, add the shallots and garlic and fry for a minute, then add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Pour in the wine and burn off the alcohol, the liquid should reduce by over half as the flavour is absorbed by the shallots and mushrooms, this will take a few minutes.
2. Pour in the cream and stir it through, then add the sprig of thyme and simmer for a few minutes taking care to continue stirring. The aroma from the herb will waft rather deliciously up at you. Add the cheeses and melt into the mix, the flavours will be getting pretty orgasmic by now. Mix the chopped parsley in and remove from the heat.
3. Whilst you are making the sauce prepare you beef, season both sides thoroughly with salt and pepper, depending on how you like your meat cooked you will have to make allowances for timing. I like mine rare so a minute on each side, you may want more. In a griddle pan heat a couple of slugs of olive oil over a high heat, put the steaks in and add a small knob of butter around them (doing this when they are already in stops the butter from burning), fry them to how you like them. If they spring back at you when you touch them then the meat is getting to well done, if they are still relatively soft then towards rare.
4. Plate up the steaks and cover with the sauce. Garnish with a wee sprig of un-chopped parsley and prepare to grow chest hair (careful ladies).
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