STEAK DIANE

STEAK DIANE

Julia Child was a master of technique, but her Steak Diane proves techniques don’t have to be difficult — and her recipe is a prime example of her practical philosophy: Great food is the result of good basic ingredients and fundamental cooking techniques. A classic dish, Steak Diane was popular in fancy supper clubs where waiters prepared it tableside in just a few minutes. Thin, tender beef is cooked lightning-fast, then served in a flavorful pan sauce — complete, from pan to plate, in less than five minutes.

TRIM:

2 ribeye steaks (12 oz. each)

1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

Vegetable oil

WHISK:

½ cup low-sodium beef broth

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

HEAT:

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

2 tsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. minced shallots

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and black pepper

Steak Diane really moves fast, so assemble the ingredients for the sauce before cooking the steak. Combine the broth and mustard, chop the shallots and parsley, and have the lemon juice squeezed and on hand. And Julia recommended flavoring the sauce to your own taste. You can adjust the Worcestershire and lemon juice, and add chopped fresh thyme or tarragon if you like.

INSTRUCTIONS

Trim steaks of any fat and gristle, then cut each into quarters. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound steak pieces to ¼-inch thick. Rub each piece with soy sauce and oil.

Whisk together broth and Dijon.

Heat a sauté pan over high; add 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 tsp. oil, swirling to coat. Add four steak pieces and saut&eacute, in two batches, 1 minute; flip and sauté 40–50 seconds more. Transfer steaks to a warm platter. Repeat cooking with remaining four steak pieces.

Add remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and shallots to pan and cook over high, 30 seconds. Deglaze pan with broth mixture, scraping up any brown bits. Stir in parsley, Worcestershire, and lemon juice; season sauce with salt and pepper. Return steaks to pan just to coat with sauce; serve immediately.

To flatten the steaks easily and avoid splatter, place the meat between pieces of plastic wrap before pounding.

Deglaze the pan with the broth and Dijon, scraping up any brown bits from the steak to incorporate into the sauce.

After making the sauce, return the steaks to the pan just to coat with sauce — don't leave them in too long or they'll overcook.