Blow Torch Steak with Bourbon Mushroom Sauce

Once I read this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  The idea is that you heat a nice, heavy saute pan pretty hot, rub a nice rib eye steak with oil, salt, and pepper, and then throw it in the pan.  However, instead of searing both sides, you take a blowtorch to “up” side and brown it.  Then, it gets parked in the oven to finish cooking.  I really wasn’t sure why the blowtorch was being used, other than it being plain fun.  But once I went through the recipe, I realized that it allowed me to get a nice crust on both sides of the steak and still cook it less in the direct heat of the saute pan.  That means that less of the outside of the steak is cooked as the heat is slowly transferred to the middle of the steak.  Hence, you are able to get more of your steak the exact temperature you want.  Here’s what the torched side looked like:

Here’s the recipe:

Blow Torch Steak with Bourbon Mushroom Sauce, from here

1 (2-inch) thick, boneless rib-eye steak

1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Take the steak out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature 2 hours before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil all over the steak and season it with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the steak in the preheated skillet to sear on one side. Sear the face-up side with a blowtorch simultaneously. When both sides of the steak are browned, transfer the skillet into the preheated oven to finish cooking.

Cook the steak until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the steak to a plate to rest while you make the sauce.

Place the skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and mushrooms and saute until all the water released from the mushrooms has evaporated. Pour in the bourbon and beef broth and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Swirl the butter around in the skillet until it melts and then quickly stir in the cream. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Slice the steak across the grain and pour the hot bourbon sauce over it and serve.

The steak and sauce are delicious.  The steak, as mentioned above, is just cooked so right and to temperature.  The sauce has a bit of sweetness from the bourbon, earthiness from the mushrooms, and richness from the butter and cream.  It was amazing.  I served it with some blanched asparagus dusted with some Parmesan cheese.  Here’s what it looked like:

One note:  The original recipe has an obvious error in it.  It calls from 1/2 cup of flour.  This ingredient is not referenced in the directions and would be silly to put into this type of sauce.  So, leave it out.  Enjoy!