Steak with Béarnaise Sauce

• Time

  25 minutes

• Prep

  10 minutes

• Cook

  15 minutes

• Serving

  4 people

Ingredients

Infused vinegar

• 1 1/2 tbsp white wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 shallot
• 2 sprigs tarragon

Steaks

4 (1-inch thick) rib eye steaks

1 1/2 tbsp canola oil, peanut oil, or grapeseed oil

Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

4 tbsp butter

4 garlic cloves smashed

4 sprigs rosemary

Béarnaise sauce

• 3 egg yolks
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 lbs unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tbsp tarragon leaves
• 1/2 tbsp chevril

Instructions

Infused vinegar and clarified butter

• 1. For the infused vinegar, place the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from stove and let it stand for 5 minutes to infuse.
• 2. Strain, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. You should have around 1 tbsp of liquid. Cool 5 minutes before use.
• 3. For the clarified butter, first microwave 1 cup butter until melted. We need 175g or 3/4 cup clarified butter for this recipe. With the quick clarified butter method used in this recipe, you will lose around 30 – 50g of butter, which is why we start with more.
• 4. Leave the butter for 30 seconds so the milky whites settle at the bottom. The clarified butter on top can be used while hot.

Steaks

• 1. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper to taste.
• 2. Heat a heavy pan such as a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil to the pan. Place the steaks in the pan in a single layer. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until deep golden brown.
• 3. Add the butter to the pan. After the butter has melted, add the garlic cloves and rosemary to the pan. Stir to combine. Spoon the butter mixture over the steaks. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of one of the steaks.
• 4. Cook the steak for 2-3 minutes or until the thermometer registers at between 130-135 degrees F for a medium steak. Remove the meat from the pan. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes.

Béarnaise sauce

• 1. Place egg yolks, infused vinegar and salt in a tall, narrow container that the blender stick fits in all the way to the base. Blitz briefly to combine.
• 2. With the stick blender going on high, slowly drizzle the butter in over about a minute.
• 3. After all the butter is in, blitz for a further 10 seconds, moving the stick up and down.
• 4. Add 1 tablespoon water, then blitz to incorporate. Add more water as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the sauce is thick enough to ooze across a steak, coating it thickly. Stir in tarragon and chevril. Poor the sauce on the steaks and enjoy!

Notes

• Wine: Use a dry white wine that’s not too sweet, fruity or woody.
• Vinegar: Champagne vinegar also works great. Cider vinegar works fine too.
• Egg yolks: Easiest to separate when fridge cold, but then leave them for 15 minutes to take the chill out of them. Do not use while fridge cold, it may not incorporate properly with the butter.
• Butter: Instead of making clarified butter, just use 3/4 cup ghee, which is the same thing as clarified butter.
• Herbs: Tarragon is the signature herb of Béarnaise, so you really can’t substitute this. Chervil can be substituted with parsley.
• Make it fresh: Béarnaise is more prone to splitting than hollandaise so it's better to prep everything ahead then make the sauce fresh while waiting for the steak to rest.