I don't eat beef often, but when I do I like it to be a thick, juicy steak that's packed with flavor and served with a couple of buttered veggies. Caramelized onions are a great topping for steak. They are so versatile and adaptable. Sweat them, grill them, brown them... they can be found in a wide range of recipes. Onions are cooked so often here that we have a running joke about it. "Mmmm, something smells good..."
Just how sauteeing onions can turn the ham-handed novice into a fantastic cook, marinating your meat can turn a cheap cut into something quite delicious. Marinating adds flavor but also acts as a tenderizer. Here, the acidity in the wine will tenderize the meat by breaking up the bonds that hold the proteins together, this is also called denaturing.
Enjoy!
Serves 2
Ingredients
• 2 strip loin steak, about 300g each • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil • 1/4 cup red wine • 2 tablespoons prepared or fresh grated horseradish • salt + ground black pepper
In a bowl large enough to hold both steaks, mix the oil, wine and horseradish together. Add the beef and season with a pinch of salt and a few crunches of blackpepper. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
Maple Caramelized Onions
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced • 3 tablespoons butter • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
In a medium pan, on high heat, brown the onions in the butter, stirring often for 10-15 minutes, until the onions are a nice dark brown. Lower the heat if it gets too hot. Finish with the maple syrup and set aside.
Cooking It
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. In a pan, heat up a drizzle of oil. Sear the steaks 2-3 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper. If you want the steaks rare, this should about do it for a 1" thick steak. If you want them cooked more, transfer them to a small tray and finish in the oven until desired doneness. Top with horseradish and caramelized onions.
