Seared Sirloin Steaks with Red Onion and Hoegaarden Beer Sauce

Sometimes a girl just needs a steak and roasted potatoes to be happy, I was definitly a happy camper after having this.  I added  touch of apple butter for sweetness and used Hoegaarden beer because its what I had on hand, but you can use any kind of beer that you like.

Ingredients serves 4
For the sauce
2 tsp butter
1 large red onion, sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
 a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme
1/2 up beef stock
1 bottle of Hoegaarden beer or substitute
1 tbsp applebutter

Melt the butter in a small sauce pot over a medium heat, add the onions and sautee for about 10 minutes until the onions are softened and browned.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10- 15 minutes until thickened. Remove the sprigs of herbs.

For the steak, Drizzle the meat with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.  At this point you can grill the meat on the BBQ, I seared my steaks on a griddle over a high heat for about 3 minutes a side.

Serve the sauce over top the steaks

For the potatoes
15 medium sized potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic granules

Pre heat the oven to 375*f

In a large boil, toss  the potato slices with the olive oil, paprika and garlic granules. Spread the potato slices onto a baking sheet or two lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30-45 minutes until browned, turning the potatoes once.

Beef and Barley Risotto with Asparagus

 

 This dish can certainly be made using risotto rice, but I like the texture of the barley in place of the rice, you’llbget a whole lot more flavor with the barley as well. The beef I used, had had other plans prior to me deciding I would use it in a risotto and so it had alreadybeen marinated for 2 days in red wine, garlic , and malagueta. You dont have to marinate the beef before using, but you will add that much more flavour if you do.

Ingredients, serves 3-4

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

150 g beef cutlet, marinated

½ cup pearl barley

½ cup small pasta, like orzo

1 medium onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

225g white button mushrooms, washed and sliced

1 Litre of beef stock + more if needed

1 bundle of asparagus, trimmed and cut into large pieces diagonally

Chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat, brown the beef cutlet about 2-3 minutes a side, set on a plate to cool, slice into bite size pieces.

Add the barley, and pasta to the pot, stirring for 2 minutes, browning the pasta and barley. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms to the barley and pasta stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes.  Slowly add the beef stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to get all the browned bits off.   

Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus pieces, parsley, and the cooked beef. Simmer for another 15 minutes or until the asparagus is cooked the way you like it.  At any point during simmering you may or may not have to add a little extra beef stock if the stock simmers off before the barley is cooked, I like to add just a ½ cup at a time.