There are times when you want to make something really special for dinner. You want a restaurant-style experience without the price and without hiring a babysitter. I have six kids. Most of them are grown and gone but I remember those early years of motherhood with fondness and sometimes fatigue and frustration. We didn’t always have the budget for a nice evening out and we didn’t always have a babysitter available. Enter the rosemary and garlic marinated steak. This meal has been served on many special occasions at our house. Events like anniversaries, birthdays and New Years Eve are ones that quickly come to mind. Sometimes we would put the kids to bed and make dinner and other times we put out our best dinnerware and had a beautiful etiquette-teaching meal. My favorite steak to use is a 2-inch thick porterhouse steak but the process for any steak is the same and it always packs big flavor. Use whatever steak you have available to you or splurge and ask the butcher to cut you a nice thick porterhouse.
Start by placing sprigs of fresh rosemary on both sides of the steak along with several slices of fresh garlic. Wrap the steak and refrigerate for about 8 hours.
About 20 minutes before you are ready to start cooking the steak remove it from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Heat a heavy (cast iron if possible) to medium heat and drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet. Sear the steak on both sides WITH the rosemary and garlic. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Reduce heat and add 1/2 cup red wine, apple juice or bouillon. I found this nice little cooking wine that I used because I don’t have alcohol in the house. 🙂 Preheat your oven to 375°.
Simmer 2 minutes while the oven is heating. Place the steak, uncovered, in the oven for about 25 minutes. Turn the steak every 10 minutes. Cook to your desired doneness. During the last 5 minutes of cooking place a tablespoon of butter on top of the steak. That’s just a delicious idea.
Remove the steak from the oven and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. This is where I add a bit of salt to the steak. Cover with a piece of foil to keep the heat in. (The steaks I made today were plated as individuals, not sliced.) While the steak (or steaks) are resting, we will work on the sauce that is poured over the steak for serving.
Remove the large sprigs of rosemary from the pan. To the drippings add 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 2 green onions chopped, 1 rounded tablespoon of jalapeno jelly and 1/4 cup additional red wine or your substitute. If I don’t have jalapeno jelly handy I use 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes with about a tablespoon of brown sugar. Look at us making rational substitutions! Whisk together until well incorporated over a low simmer.
Pour warm sauce over steak and serve immediately. You know what is a great side dish for this steak? Loaded Red Potatoes! Garnish with fresh rosemary.
Look at your calendar and see what special occasions you have coming up in your life. My kids still remember feeling so important when I cooked this for them as young children. Something I couldn’t afford to do with them at a fancy restaurant became a happy memory.
- Steak, your choice. I love to have a butcher cut me a 2-inch thick porterhouse steak. For this post I used 4 rib eye steaks because I was feeding a crowd.
For The Marinade - 4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
- olive oil
- butter
- ½ cup red wine or use apple juice or sweetened broth
For The Sauce - drippings from pan
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup addition red wine, apple juice or broth
- 1 rounded tablespoon of jalapeno jelly or ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Layer steak or steaks with sprigs of fresh rosemary and garlic slices.
- Wrap and refrigerate for about 8 hours.
- Remove the steak from the fridge 20 minutes before you are ready to start cooking.
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet and bring to medium heat.
- Brown steak, with rosemary and garlic, on each side for about 2-3 minutes or until it develops nice color.
- Reduce the heat under the skillet and add red wine.
- Simmer 2 minutes.
- Put the skillet with the steak/steaks in the oven for approximately 25 minutes; turning them every 10 minutes.
- During the last 5 minutes of cooking place 1 pat of butter on each steak.
- Remove from the oven and place on a plate.
- Lightly salt the steak and cover with foil.
- To the drippings in the pan add tablespoons butter, soy sauce, green onions chopped, jalapeno jelly and ¼ cup additional red wine.
- Over low heat whisk together until completely incorporated.
- Slice the steak, especially if you are using the thicker porterhouse cut. Or plate the steaks you have cooked an individual steak for your guests.
- Pour sauce over the cooked steak.
- Garnish with fresh rosemary.
- Serve.
- Great with Loaded Red Potatoes.