My mom is insanely talented when it comes to birthday celebrations. She puts such loving…
A Brunch Classic: Steak and Eggs
It’s amazing the power that purchasing can have. By that I mean, after going to Whole Foods and buying a huge beef chuck blade for only $5, my mood couldn’t have been better. This cut is thick, tender, and creates amazing juices when resting. Plus, it’s cost-effective! I couldn’t wait to cook these, but fried chicken was Troy’s birthday dinner request, thus, I began waiting. Steak and eggs, here we come.
The time has finally arrived! My steak is sitting on my counter, coming to room temperature as we speak. For those of you who may not know, never take your meat directly from the fridge to the pan. If you do so, it will be harder to achieve a solid, even cook. You need the center of it to become the same temperature as the edges for the best results. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, maybe 30 if needed, then cook it (in a pan that’s nice and hot, of course). Now I know this post is titled A Brunch Classic, but I’m actually making this for dinner right now.
Ingredients
Beef chuck blade
Eggs
Onion
Garlic
Thyme
Sage
Chives
As my meat rests, I’m starting to caramelize some onions. Heat a little bit of olive oil (I’m using basil flavored) and butter; once the pan is hot toss in the garlic and onion. I’ve kept the heat on a solid medium high because I want them to be golden brown and soft. My patience is always tested when it comes to caramelizing onions. I want to be doing something as they cook when in fact you just need to let ’em do their thing. Totally worth it though, because then you get this:
For the steak, I want to keep it simple. I have beautiful, coarse sea salt from Hawaii (!) that Emily brought back for me and I want that to highlight the natural flavors of the meat. I’m so sad, I’m out of coarse pepper that I can grind, so begrudgingly I’m going to deal with normal shaker pepper. Pat, don’t rub, in the seasoning and that’s it! As much as I love concocting some fragrant marinade, I’m keeping it simple today.
At this point, start heating a pot of water for poaching the eggs.
I cooked the steak in my cast iron Le Creuset pan, the same one my onions were caramelizing in. If you like your onions more crunchy, try cooking your steak first. While it rests, throw your onions into the same pan the steak was just in so they absorb all the flavor. I wanted my onions to saute low and slow which is why I did them first. For the meat, I only used butter today. Usually I do a mix of olive oil and butter, but this is such a thick cut that I want it to be super juicy.
Lay in the meat and let your mouth water over that sizzling sound. Avoid flipping it over and over, one flip should do! After that flip, lay in some thyme and sage, add in some more butter, and begin basting. I didn’t do this today, but sometimes I like slicing a few cloves of garlic and rubbing them on the meat.
Once your water is boiling, start poaching your eggs. I’ve seen lots of debate over adding vinegar or not, and honestly I don’t think it makes a huge difference. I’ve done it both ways, so do what you’re used to! Sometimes I feel like people are intimidated by poaching eggs when in fact it’s crazy easy. Boil your water and get a gentle swirl going as you turn it down just a tad before adding the egg. Crack your egg in something that makes it easy to dip them in water. I use a quarter cup. Bring the cup to the water and slowly let the egg slide into the water. Help the whites along by pushing them to gently cover the yolk, then leave it be. It should only cook for about a minute or two, so keep an eye on it.
When you’re happy with the level your steak is cooked, take it out and let it rest. Resting juices are one of my favorite parts of steak – it’s so flavorful! When it’s ready, place the steak on a plate, top with the onions, then position the egg on top of it all and garnish with chives.
Voila!
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