The Steaklover's Companion by Frederick J. Simon, executive vice president of Omaha Steaks, the mail order meat company, serves up information as plain and unadorned as a slab of meat in a steakhouse. There's some history in the introduction written by Merle Ellis, a.k.a. "The Butcher," a food personality who focuses on meat. He also explains where steaks come from on the steer and how the various cuts differ. The meat of the book consists of 170 recipes, many contributed by chefs. These tend to
1 pound haricot verts (thin green beans), ends trimmed
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeded, and julienned
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon julienned fresh
basil leaves
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
For the Parsley Butter:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Steaks:
4 T-bone steaks, about 16 ounces each
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
T-bone steaks are cut from the center of the short loin and are so-called because of the T-shaped bone that separates the smaller section of tenderloin from the larger top loin part. Some of my overseas friends think of T-bones as quintessentially American, and they are a popular cut among steak connoisseurs. In this recipe you can grill the T-bones rather than broil them if you prefer.
Haricot verts (literally "green beans" in French) are also known as French beans, and the technique of blanching them in boiling salted water and immediately chilling them in ice water keeps them crisp and tender while retaining all their color and flavor.
The parsley butter is a great culinary asset to keep on hand because you can also use it for fish, and it freezes well.
To prepare the bean salad, bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water until cool. Drain the beans again, pat dry, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper, and toss together. Set aside.
To prepare the parsley butter, place all the ingredients in a food processor and run until smooth. Place the butter on wax paper, form into a cylinder, and roll up, or place in a small tub and form into a large pat. Chill in the refrigerator or freeze.
Preheat the broiler.
Season the T-bones with salt and pepper, and place on a rack at least 2 to 3 inches below the heat source. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare, and about 7 minutes per side for medium, turning them once. About 1 minute before removing the steaks from the broiler, place a round pat of the parsley butter on top of each steak and let it melt.
To serve, remove the steaks from the broiler, being careful not to let the melted butter run off the steaks. Serve with the bean salad.
