Recipe: Steak with Drunken Mushrooms & Roasted Blue Cheese Potatoes

The lure of steak is simply irresistible. Add in beer-soaked mushrooms, caramelized onions, and some fingerling potatoes roasted with blue cheese, and you'll have every neighbor within 300 feet of your front door standing in your kitchen. So lock 'em out, or welcome them in — either way, this 30-minute meal will knock the socks off your local steakhouse.

I love to indulge in a great cut of meat and a few rich flavors to go with it. Here I've made some drunken mushrooms and caramelized onions to go with a beautiful piece of steak. And don't forget the potatoes. Oh, the potatoes!

While I love a good piece of steak, the hearty onions and mushrooms really make this dish. They've been caramelized and sautéed with a dark beer until the pan sauce thickens. It will be all you can do not to eat them before your steak is done.
The ingredients are minimal, the taste is huge, and it can be a meal for just one or a crowd. The whole thing comes together in just about 30 minutes, and will be a meal to remember.

While a good steak can certainly always stand on its own, sometimes it's really the sauce that makes the meal. And that could not be more true than with this recipe. I've made recipes similar to this one a number of times, but they've always used red wine. Changing it up with a dark beer was fun, and truly delicious. It made the steak feel especially rich and hearty.As for which cut of steak to use, that part is entirely up to you. This recipe will work with any cut you choose to use — a fancy filet, a ribeye, London broil, or flank steak. Go with what you like. My steak, as well as the one Sarah used in her original recipe, were tenderloin cuts that were about 2 inches thick. If you use a thinner steak, cook the steaks for about a minute less on each side. And if you go with a thicker cut, you'll need to add some cook time to both sides.And whatever you do, do not skip the potatoes. What started as a side dish I didn't think I'd enjoy (they seemed so heavy to me), ended up completely blowing me away.- Kelli, September 2015

Steak with Drunken Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions & Roasted Blue Cheese Potatoes

Serves 2

20 small fingerling potatoes, washed and cut in half
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 medium yellow onions, halved and sliced
12 to 15 large button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces dark beer, your favorite or what you have on hand
2 thick steaks, any cut, 3/4 to 1 pound each
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the potatoes with salt and olive oil, and spread on a baking sheet or metal pan. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned.
Use the dry method for quickly caramelizing onions by placing the onions, along with a pinch of salt and a dash of oil, in a medium-sized sauté pan over medium-high heat. Caramelize the onions (you can see how right here) and transfer to a plate when done.
Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, stir to coat with the oil, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add half the beer.
Bring the beer to a simmer and cook, stirring the mushrooms occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Transfer the onions back to the pan, and pour in the remaining beer. Continue stirring over medium heat until sauce has reduced and thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a separate heavy-bottomed pan, like a cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet. Cook for 4 1/2 minutes, flip, and cook for another 4 1/2 minutes on the other side. This will cook the steaks to medium-rare; cook a minute or two longer on each side if you like your steaks more well done. Remove from pan and rest, covered with foil on a cutting board, for 5 minutes.
Check the potatoes. If tops are browned and potatoes are tender, take the tray from the oven and sprinkle blue cheese on top of each one. Place back in oven, on a lower rack, and turn to broil. Continue cooking for additional 5 minutes. Reheat mushrooms and onions, if necessary, plate them on top of the steak. Remove potatoes from the oven, serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• If you prefer a more well-done steak, you can finish it in the oven after searing each side.
• http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-steak-with-drunken-mushrooms-roasted-blue-cheese-potatoes-165630?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=managed