Pan-Seared Steak

This is a fairly simple interpretation of the steak part of Steak Frites, the classic French steak house meal. It's not quite as nice as something you'll find at, say, Brasserie Les Halles (or even at the 99, where I first tried it), but it's still an amazingly tasty piece of steak.

You can do this in an ordinary cast iron pan, though supposedly with cast iron there is a tendency for iron to leach into your sauces; this is not necessarily a bad thing (unless you have problems managing your iron intake), but Cook's Illustrated seems to think that it tends to negatively affect the flavor of your food. If it's important to you, use a non-reactive (enamel, stainless steel, or anodized aluminum) pan to make this; I used a Calphalon saute pan, which is scratch-prone but conducts heat beautifully. Also, since the fond (the crud on the bottom that you mix with the wine to make the sauce) doesn't form properly on Teflon, non-stick pans are Right Out, but you wouldn't want to use one for searing anyway.

I'm not normally into the wine recommendation thing, but this screams for a punchy red wine (Merlot or Pinot Noir would be ideal), and nothing else. If beer is your thing, go with Guinness or a dark Pilsener like Sam Adams or Brooklyn.

• 2 lbs (1 kg) beef steak (strip or shell sirloin is best; I actually used London broil)
• 1.5 c (~400 mL) red wine (Merlot, Cab, or Pinot Noir)
• 2 shallots, chopped (about 1/4 c)
• About 10 white mushrooms, sliced, or the equivalent in your favorite
• wild mushrooms (optional)
• all-purpose flour (about 1/2 tbsp)
• kosher salt
• thyme
• tarragon
• bay leaf
• fresh-ground pepper
• rather more butter than you're really comfortable with

1. Salt the meat generously. (This brings more juices to the surface to caramelize in the pan.)
2. In a non-reactive saute pan on high heat, melt about 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Add about 1 tbsp of chopped shallots, turn the heat down to medium high, and add the steaks.
3. Cook for 4 minutes without turning (though you might want to shake the pan to dislodge it every now and then), then turn over and cook 4 min for rare, 5 for medium rare, or 6 for medium. Don't even think about well-done. Add mushrooms and perhaps a bit more butter when you turn the steak.
4. Meanwhile, in a bit more butter saute the remaining shallots in a small saucepan and add the wine. Add thyme, tarragon, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook as long as the steak cooks.
5. After the steak is done, remove the steak from the pan and set it aside to rest. Add wine reduction and deglaze; return to saucepan, whisk in flour (you might make a beurre manie or a roux before hand), and mount with as much butter as you can safely use without worrying about putting someone in the hospital.
6. Serve more or less immediately.