Cheddarmelt, Black Pepper & Rosemary Steak Perfection!
In my humble opinion, there aren't many fast or easy dinners that can match the flavour and awesomeness of a perfectly grilled rare steak! They are so incredibly yummy and without question one of the easiest things in the world to make - and not to mention, with so many people jumping onto this whole “carnivore diet” thing… a great dinner go to, lol. I usually prep and serve my steaks pretty plainly - allowing the flavour of the meat to be the star of the show, but there are times when I want to dress them up a bit. This rub is one of my all-time favourites and it pairs so deliciously with the mushroom and chilli sauce.
For the most part, I am not normally in favour of buying "pre-packed" anything! So when it comes to the sauce (whatever that may be), unless you catch me on a very lazy day, I will make it from scratch. This one is a mushroom, cheese, and chilli sauce. It’s a bit of a "combo" thing because, like every decent mother and woman, I strive to make my family members happy, lol. Some of us enjoy cheese (that being me), others prefer mushrooms (that being David) - putting the two together, creating a sort of “cheddarmelt” it's a "win win" because the two flavours blend nicely - and then adding the chilli in, just gives it that incredible PUNCH!
Some people avoid making things like sauces because they think they are complicated, but they really are the most simple thing!! It is really as easy as ABC, so if I am honest, there is no excuse for me to occasionally buy packet sauces..lol anyhoooo... let's get to the sauce.
The first thing you want to do is melt a tablespoon of butter in a pot... In this instance I added the ground pepper and chilli sauce (which is a homemade one, so no additives or rubbish in it!) One of the many little cooking secrets which my late mom shared with me many years ago, was that the secret to any really tasty sauce, is to add a little bit of chicken stock. I mostly use the cubes, so I add in a half a cube. I put this into ANY sauce that I make these days and it just adds that "wow factor" to the flavour profile! Whatever your choice of additional flavouring for the sauce, in terms of herbs and spice... now is the time to add it!
As I added a mushroom flavour to this sauce - I sauteed some white button mushrooms separately in a pan... Whilst brown mushrooms are more flavourful, I find they tend to make the sauce "grey" in colour, so I stick to the white mushrooms. Mushrooms hold a lot of moisture naturally, so I A) don't wash them (yes I am still alive and kicking lol) and B) sautee them for quite a bit longer than say an onion.... as for the most part they tend to "boil" a little in their own moisture in the beginning... but when they look turn nice and golden then they are good to go!
Now, let’s get back to the sauce... whilst the butter and spice etc. is busy melting I get the grated cheese ready. A nice handful is about right... The butter and spice is now melted and ready for a tablespoon of flour. Use a whisk for this part and do it quickly! Add the flour and whisk briskly. It turns to paste very quickly and also burns fast if you leave it for even a second.
You need to have the milk on hand for this part... before the butter mixture burns! You can use cream, but on most days I either forget to buy cream or feel like too much of a cheapskate - so I generally just go with milk. lol! Add about a cup of milk and continue to whisk! You can always add more later to thin the sauce - but re-thickening it is not always as successful! lol
Keep whisking.... as the mixture heats and gradually reaches boiling point, it will thicken - but again... if left unattended for even mere seconds it will burn on the bottom... so now is a good time for those arm exercises ;)
Once the sauce is a nice thick consistency, remove it from the heat and add the grated cheese. NEVER add the cheese while it is still on the heat (we all know what happens to overheated cheese) and also, do not add all the cheese at once as it will cause the sauce to cool down too quickly and it will struggle to melt.
Once the cheese has melted and blended with the sauce into a nice creamy consistency you can add your deliciously sauteed mushrooms and stir them in... The sauce is quite "stodgy" right now, but like I said - thinning it is a lot easier than having to thicken it again ;) That is the sauce done and now time to prepare the steaks.
The rub although simple in ingredient, is exceptionally tasty! All you need is some barbeque flavoured meat basting mixed with a little olive oil, a handful of fresh rosemary diced and ground salt and pepper. Cover the steaks in the basting sauce and olive oil combo and then cover them with the rub ingredients.
Heat the "griddle pan" for about 30 minutes before placing the steaks on. I like a VERY RARE steak, so two minutes per side normally does it. Some people might argue this point, but I generally prepare my steaks an hour or two before we eat them because it allows you to get everything done in advance and when entertaining this is a major advantage. I cannot STAND still being busy in the kitchen when my guests arrive - and ANYBODY who has "dined" at my house will know well, that EVERYTHING - is ready to go, well in advance. But, apart from that - meat also needs time to rest - and doing it this way allows for that.
With the steaks done and resting, you have time to prepare the sides - whatever they may be. I went rather easy on the sides, because the steaks are filling and the sauce is chunky and rich... So a small ramekin of spiced cous cous with added veg it was... Accompanied by a baby spinach and kale salad.
DELICIOUS STEAK PERFECTION!
❤❤❤
Until next time...
Much Love from Country Bumpkinland, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
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A steak sauce without Sherry... Interesting. I would never have thought of that ;-)) Will try it out! And in any case - Steak is always a favourite when it has to be quick and tasty!
Glad to see you back..seems delicious