Turkey antidote

Frying up a steak indoors is no big trick, but finishing it with a nice reduction sauce is a little extra challenge and work.  The work part is cleaning the gosh-darn stove afterwards because the wine and grease splatter everywhere in a fine haze.

When I still had my Viking I made reduction sauces all the time. Maybe I had more energy then. It was also quicker because the burners ran like blow torches.  It was also great for searing meat and it had a thrilling hot infrared broiler.  I have never gotten over my love affair with that professional stove. But you know the story-- the Viking was overpowered for my little galley of a kitchen.

My current gas range doesn't have that kind of oomph, but I don't worry as much about burning down the house.  It does all the same things, you just need a little more patience.  For a steak, I heat my indestructible cast iron skillet on the hottest burner for at least 10 minutes.  (This is not a job for your fine cookware.)

I like my steak medium-rare and John likes medium-well, so I shoot for the middle ground.  Yes, we share a big steak between us and try not to fight. The cook gets the bone. Those days of gobbling down one apiece are over.


After the steak was cooked and resting, I added about 1/3 bottle of red wine and let it boil down until it was almost syrupy...

Then threw in a handful of finely chopped parsley and scallion....

Finally, a big pat of butter. The magic finish in all reductions.

When all is said and done, you'll wind up with about  quarter cup of delicious glaze. And a big mess, of course.  But worth it, once in a long while.