Steak quickly pan-seared in an oil, butter & herb combination, topped with caramelized onions,  oven roasted, and then served with a Merlot reduction.

Merlot Reduction Caramelized Onion Steak

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The odd thing about this form of communication is that you’re more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just wanted to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings. -Kathleen Kelly (but could’ve been a direct quote from my own heart.)

Dear Void

Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, valuable, but small. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it , or because I haven’t been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the other way around? I don’t really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void.

So there you have it dear reader, dear void.

If  I were brave, if my life were the story, rather than the story my life; how would it go? Would it be as rich and beautiful as this Merlot Steak?

Let’s Pretend

Let’s pretend that for today we can write our own story and that once written, we are then brave enough to live our story! How would your’s go? What would your story be about? Are you the hero, the heroin, the sidekick, or just someone in the background eating steak?

Joe Fox in the movie “You’ve got Mail” told Kathleen Kelly:

“I met a man in an elevator today who knew exactly what he wanted, and I found myself wishing I were as lucky as he.”

I know what you mean Joe! Oftentimes I find myself wondering what do I want? The thing is; I know what I don’t want, but for the life of me I don’t know what I DO want. Or perhaps I do know what I want, but I don’t know how to be brave enough to get there.

(PS- Dear reader you may find yourself wondering one of two things: what does this have to do with steak? and, Where are all  of these quotes coming from?

Be not alarmed dear reader! I am not quoting myself again like I did in my Rosemary Thyme Beef Stew post. They are mostly all from the movie “You’ve got Mail”, which if you haven’t seen then you totally need to!

And, in regards to the first question; nothing really, it’s just a fancy meal that inspires fanciful thoughts and I haven’t bought myself flowers or pencils today, so I am being fanciful in my Merlot Steak writing instead.)

Pride and Prejudice

“Confession: I have read Pride and Prejudice about 200 times. I’m always in agony over whether Elizabeth ad Mr Darcy… are really going to get together.” -Kathleen Kelly to Joe Fox

Confession: I have watched the 6 hour version of Pride and Prejudice about 200 times. When I was younger my sisters and I would watch it every single time we spent the night at my Grandma Simmons’ house (I once ran over an already dead deer on my way to her house to watch it. I should tell you that story sometime, it’s terrible! ).

When I went to college I found it on VHS for $5 and felt like life was complete. I just recently finally upgraded to the DVD and watch it so often that my two year old now always asks “Darcy?” if she sees me crying or if she herself feels sad. Then I wonder what am I teaching her here? Fairly certain a giant mom-fail is happening for sure.

My story…

If I were to write my story now it would totally be a sappy love story like Pride and Prejudice, because those are always the best kind. Haha! And, it would be a clever love story like “You’ve got Mail” . And, it would be chuck full with adorable lines like:

“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” -Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet

(Pretty sure this line is the epitome of romance and I am obviously a total sucker for romance! What’s funny is that when Darcy says it, it’s totally not romantic. Ah… Love it so much!)

“Don’t you just love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.” -Joe Fox to Kathleen Kelly

(That line alone makes me want to receive a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils! Haha!), and

“If I hadn’t been Joe Fox and you hadn’t been Kathleen Kelly… I would have asked for your number and I wouldn’t have been able to wait 24 hours before calling and asking “How about coffee, drinks, dinner, a movie; for as long as we both shall live?” -Joe Fox to Kathleen Kelly

(Can you imagine? Someone enjoying talking to you so much that they want to marry you without ever having kissed you or anything? I swoon… Haha!)

Romance+Girl Power= An Awesome Story

Of course my story wouldn’t just be romance. I’ve got to be a heroin! I’ve got to be strong. There has to be action! And I think I would probably need a weapon or ten; yes, yes I would definitely need some weapons. Probably some kind of kick-arse swords and a teeny tiny gun with lots of oomph. Or a chakram and a bow and arrows! Maybe all of the above just to be safe!

“Though she be but little she is fierce.” -Shakespeare

Yes please, I want to be fierce! And you my friend; if you’re not fierce and brave then you should write your story too. What genre of book would it fall in to?

Be BRAVE and FIERCE and COOK!

Friends this is a meal to cook when you’re cooking to create. Anyone can cook, but only the fearless can be great. In the words of Remy the rat:

“There’s something about humans, they don’t just survive; they discover, they create.”

This steak is amazing and wonderful and time consuming. Very, very time consuming. Dear reader you may be thinking that at this moment I’m doing a smashing job of talking you out of making it. DO NOT BE DETERRED! This steak is worth every second it takes. It’s delicious and divine and scrumptious and all those other wonderful words I wish described me. Haha! And you will LOVE it!

Go! Survive, Discover, CREATE!

Recipe for Merlot Reduction Steak:

Flirting with Flavor

Yields 4 servings

Caramelized Onion Steak in Merlot Reduction

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Ingredients

• 4 8-10oz Flat Iron Steaks
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
• 2 TBS Butter
• 4 cloves Garlic, peeled and then smashed with the flat of your chef knife
• 3 Onions, sliced thin
• 1 more TBS Butter
• 8-10 sprigs Thyme, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Chives, minced
For the Merlot Reduction
• 1 bottle Merlot
• 1 onion chopped into 8ths
• 4 Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 6 Thyme Sprigs
• 10-12 Sprigs Italian Parsley
• 2 dashes of Red Pepper Flakes
• 2.5 cups Water
• 3 Chicken or Beef Bullion cubes

Instructions

For the Merlot Reduction
1. Combine all ingredients except the water and bullion in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, reduce heat down to a medium-low-low and let simmer while you cook your steaks.
3. When the wine has reduced to almost a glaze (about 30 minutes) and is starting to thicken, add the water and bullion.
4. Bring back up to a simmer, and then let simmer for approximately 10 more minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half and is ready to serve.
5. Strain through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer to get rid of any impurities if you'd like,
6. otherwise just remove the bay leaves and herb sprigs before plating.
For the Steaks
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
8. Heat a large skillet with the oil and butter in it over med-high-high heat until hot.
9. While oil is heating, season both sides of the steaks VERY generously with salt and pepper.
10. Add the steaks to the oil and sear for approximately 90 seconds on each side so they are browned but not cooked through.
11. Transfer the steaks to a baking sheet and let them sit while you cook the onions.
12. In the "dirty" an from the steaks, add 1 more tablespoon of butter and all of the onions.
13. Over medium heat toss the onions with the oils until they have started to soften (about 3 minutes),
14. then add the thyme and chives, then slightly reduce the heat to a medium-medium-low temperature.
15. Let the onions cook, stirring gently every now and then, until they are a golden brown.
16. On your waiting steak sheet-pan, juices will have started to accumulate under the steaks.
17. Pour those juices in with the onions and lightly salt and pepper them.
18. Let cook 3 more minutes over medium heat.
19. Then top the steaks with the caramelized onions.
20. Place the onion topped steaks tray in the oven for 7 minutes for a medium-well steak.
Butterflies in your Stomach moment!
21. On each plate evenly divided between them, place a lovely swirl or puddle of the Merlot Reduction, then lay the steak in the center.

Notes

Technique learned and adapted from Thomas Keller's Bavette a la Bordelaise

7.8.1.2

70

https://tangledwithtaste.com/caramelized-onion-merlot-steak/

FlirtingwithFlavor.com

Nutrition

Calories

460 cal

Fat

21 g

Carbs

20 g

Protein

47 g

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