Pan-Grilled Steak with French Fried Onions and Béarnaise Sauce
Of all the sauces to serve with steak, Béarnaise is the classic combination and my absolute favourite.
SERVES
6
PEOPLE
Ingredients
6 x 175g sirloin or fillet steaks
1 garlic clove
salt and freshly ground pepper
a little olive oil
Béarnaise Sauce:
- 4 tbsp tarragon vinegar
- 4 tbsp dry white wine
- 2 tsp finely chopped shallots
- pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 2 organic egg yolks
- 110g butter
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped French tarragon leaves
French Fried Onions:
fresh watercress (optional)
Method
To prepare the steaks:
About 1 hour before cooking, if time allows, cut a clove of garlic in half and rub it on both sides of each steak. This simple step intensifies the beefy flavour. Then grind some black pepper over the steaks and sprinkle on a few drops of olive oil. Turn the steaks in the oil and leave aside. If using sirloin steaks, score the fat at 2.5cm intervals.
Make the Béarnaise sauce and keep it warm (see recipe).
Heat the grill pan on a high heat, season the steaks with a little salt and put them down onto the hot pan.
The cooking times for each side of the steaks are roughly as follows:
- rare: 2 -5 minutes
- medium-rare: 3-6 minutes
- medium: 4-7 minutes
- well-done: 5-8/9 minutes
When cooking a sirloin steak, also turn it over onto the fat side and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the fat crisps up nicely. Put the steaks onto an upturned plate resting on another plate and leave them for a few minutes in a warm place while you make the French-fried onions.
Transfer the steaks to hot serving plates.
Serve with French fried onions, béarnaise sauce, some homemade chips and a sprig of fresh watercress if available.
For the béarnaise sauce:
Boil the first 4 ingredients together in a low, heavy-bottomed, stainless-steel saucepan until completely reduced and the pan is almost dry but not browned. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water immediately. Pull the pan off the heat and leave to cool for 1 or 2 minutes.
Using a coil whisk, whisk in the egg yolks and add the butter bit by bit over a very low heat, whisking all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next piece; it will gradually thicken. If it shows signs of becoming too thick or slightly scrambling, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made. Finally, add 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped French tarragon and taste for seasoning.
If the sauce is slow to thicken, it may be because you are excessively cautious, and the heat is too low. Increase the heat slightly and continue to whisk until all the butter is added and the sauce is a thick coating consistency. It is important to remember, however, that if you are making Béarnaise sauce in a saucepan directly over the heat, it should be possible to put your hand on the side of the saucepan at any stage. If the saucepan feels too hot for your hand it is also too hot for the sauce!
Another good tip if you are making Béarnaise sauce for the first time is to keep a bowl of cold water close by so that you can plunge the bottom of the saucepan into it if it becomes too hot.
Keep the sauce warm in a Pyrex bowl over hot but not simmering water or in a Thermos flask until you want to serve it.
For the French-fried onions:
Whisk the egg white lightly and add it to the milk. Slice the onion into 5mm rings.
Separate the rings and cover with the milk mixture until needed. (The leftover milk may be boiled up, thickened with roux and used for a white or parsley sauce).
Just before serving, heat the oil or beef dripping to 180°C.
Toss the rings a few at a time in well-seasoned flour. Deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden in the hot oil.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.
