PEPPER STEAKS WITH BALSAMIC ONIONS
Serve with an American-Style Amber Lager, such as Michelob AmberBock
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 sweet onions (1-1/2 pounds total) such as Walla Walla, Vidalia, or Maui, peeled and sliced lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 4 boneless tender beef steaks (each 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick and about 8 ounces), such as top loin (New York strip) or rib-eye
• 1/4 cup freshly cracked multicolored peppercorns (see Cook’s Tip below)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, melt 1-1/2 tablespoons of the butter with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 8 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the sugar. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir often until the onions begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vinegar and 1-1/2 teaspoons of the thyme leaves. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the liquid is evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Rinse the steaks and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides lightly with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, then coat with the cracked peppercorns.
In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat (divide among two pans if there’s not enough room for the steaks in one). Add the steaks and cook until well browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and cook until beginning to brown on the other side, about 2 minutes.
Place the pan in the oven and bake until just pink in the center for medium-rare (cut to test), 7 to 8 minutes. (The steaks will continue cooking for a few minutes after you take them out of the oven.)
Transfer the steaks to individual plates. Spoon the onions over the top, sprinkle with the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves, and serve.
Cook’s Tip
To crack the peppercorns, process them briefly in a spice or coffee grinder, or crush them with the flat side of a large knife or the bottom of a heavy pan.
Recipes from The Anheuser-Busch Cookbook: Great Food, Great Beer, 185 Flavorful Recipes for Pairing Beer with Food by Anheuser-Busch (Sunset Books; January 2008; $24.95/softcover)
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