Recipe: Campanile Steak with Anchovy Butter, with Stilton or with Bearnaise Sauce

STEAK WITH ANCHOVY BUTTER

"Anchovy is an important ingredient in all steak sauces because it goes so well with beef. Even if you don't think you like anchovies, you're eating them every time you use Worcestershire, A-1 Sauce, or any of the many commercial prepared steak sauces. For this recipe you can grill the steaks or cook them in a very hot pan (the instructions here are for pan-cooking). You can use an economical steak like a flatiron or hanger steak, or a more expensive New York, porterhouse, or sirloin. No matter which type you cook, if you like steak you'll like it even more with anchovy butter."

FOR THE ANCHOVY BUTTER:
1 fat garlic clove, cut in half, green shoot removed*
3 anchovy fillets, soaked in water for 15 minutes (30 minutes if salt-packed), rinsed and patted dry
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
A few grinds of the pepper mill

FOR THE STEAK:
2 pounds steak (individual steaks or larger steaks), at or just below room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil

Combine the garlic, anchovy fillets, salt, and olive oil in a mortar and pestle and mash to a smooth paste. Add the parsley and grind with the pestle until well blended with the garlic and anchovies. Work in the butter and add a few grinds of the pepper mill. Set aside. Taste and adjust the salt (add up to another 1⁄8 teaspoon).

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Pat the steaks dry and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. With your fingertips, press the seasonings into the steaks.

When the pan is hot, add the canola oil. Heat to just below smoking and add the steaks, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan. Cook for 3 minutes on each side for rare 1-inch-thick steaks, 4 to 5 minutes for thicker steaks.

Remove the steaks from the pan and immediately dollop 4 to 6 heaped tablespoons of the butter over the top. Let the meat rest for a couple of minutes, then slice and serve at once.

*I always cut my garlic cloves in half if I'm going to mash them. I do it to look for the green shoot, which must be removed, but also because it's easier to mash them if they have a flat side. Otherwise they'll bounce around when you hit them with a pestle. I use a rough chop of parsley for this, rather than finely chopped parsley, because there will be more flavor to extract as I grind the leaves in my mortar and pestle.

VARIATIONS:

STEAK WITH STILTON (OR ROQUEFORT):
Cook the steaks as instructed above. Substitute 2 ounces Stilton or Roquefort and 4 tablespoons softened butter, creamed together, for the anchovy butter. Place 4 to 6 dollops over the cooked steaks and proceed as instructed above.

STEAK WITH BEARNAISE

"Bearnaise is a variation on hollandaise, and it's almost as easy to make. What makes it sing are the fresh herbs, particularly the chervil and tarragon, and the splash of vinegar. It's a classic sauce with meats, especially steak, and it's delicious on a hamburger. You can make other variations by substituting different herbs, such as dill or marjoram. Use about half the amount this recipe makes with the steak. Refrigerate the remaining sauce and use up within 2 days."

2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped chervil
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 large or extra-large egg yolk
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and hot (but not scalding)
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Very small pinch of cayenne
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine the shallot, vinegar, wine, and herbs in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil until the mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler, which you can fashion out of a saucepan and a bowl that sits on the top. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.

Transfer the wine mixture to the bowl and add the egg yolk. Whisk together over the simmering water. Keep the heat at medium-low and whisk continually. From time to time, test the temperature of the mixture with the back of your middle finger, at the knuckle, where it is most sensitive to heat. When the mixture is hot and thick, remove from the heat.

Moisten a towel, make a ring with it on your work surface, and set the bowl on the ring. This will keep it from spinning and walking away from you as you whisk. Gradually whisk in the butter, a small ladleful at a time. The mixture should emulsify and become glossy. When all the butter has been added, whisk in the lemon juice, cayenne, and salt. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes so the salt dissolves. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Makes 4 to 6 main dish servings
Source: New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel and Lucy Schaeffer - A sumptuous collection of the best "Family Dinner Night" recipes from Mark Peel's award-winning Los Angeles restaurant, Campanile