Healthy steak will please Dad, and his arteries

  • By Sara Moulton Associated Press
  • Tuesday, June 11, 2013 2:41pm
  • Life

My family has been weaning itself from red meat for years. We still love it, but the portions and frequency are less than they used to be.

Still, when I started planning a Father’s Day menu for my husband and my dad, I thought it might be nice to bow to tradition by turning to the Batman and Robin of manly fare — steak and potatoes.

Happily, there are many ways these days to have your steak and eat it, too. For this menu, I was able to lower the fat and calorie count not only of the steak and potatoes, but of the equally sinful sauce, bearnaise. And, as ever, the flavor stays large.

We start with flank steak. Leaner and tougher than rib-eye (the traditionalist’s cut of choice), flank steak is nonetheless plenty juicy and delicious as long as you cook it to no more than medium-rare and slice it thinly and against the grain.

And just a little of it — 4 ounces — can be surprisingly satisfying.

The satisfaction quotient leaps up pretty quickly, of course, when potatoes get into the act.

In this case, I’m talking about russets, the king of starchy potatoes. I shred those bad boys, flatten them into a pancake, and crisp up the pancake in a nonstick skillet with just a little bit of olive oil.

Then I transfer it to a sheet pan and finish it in the oven, which frees up the skillet for the steak.

While the steak is cooking and resting, you can go to work on my “bearnaise sauce.”

The traditional version — made with egg yolks, lots of butter and tarragon — is a classic of French cuisine. In my version, tarragon is the only ingredient to survive.

I start by making a reduction with white wine, white wine vinegar, minced shallots and dried tarragon. You can use all white wine if you have no vinegar or all vinegar if you prefer not to use white wine. If you have no shallots, just substitute finely-chopped onion.

This reduction is the acid base of the sauce, to which you will add my miraculous cheating ingredient — one-third-less-fat cream cheese — which somehow replaces both the egg yolks and the butter. Finish off the sauce with fresh tarragon, and there you have it, a wonderful bearnaise that is simultaneously rich and light.

One of the side benefits of the one-third-less-fat cream cheese is that the sauce it makes is virtually indestructible. A traditional bearnaise is temperamental; you always have to fret about the yolks curdling and the butter separating out to form a greasy slick. This sauce stays intact.

Don’t forget to add the resting juices from the steak to the sauce, as they make it even tastier.

Our steakhouse dinner wouldn’t be complete without some spinach on the side. I cooked it up with olive oil and garlic in the same pan as the potatoes and the steak. I’m telling you, Mom, this is almost a one-dish meal.

Father’s Day steakhouse dinner

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated, preferably using the grating disk of a food processor
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
  • 6 ounces 1/3-less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
  • 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of any visible fat
  • 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the grated potatoes, pressing them down with a spatula, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until golden brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Set a large dinner plate over the skillet, then invert to transfer the potatoes, browned side up, onto the plate.

Return the skillet to the heat and add another 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Slide the potatoes back into the skillet, browned side up. Cook until golden brown on the second side, about another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a sheet pan and place in the oven to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high, combine the shallot, vinegar, white wine, tarragon, a hefty pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook gently until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking each until incorporated. Whisk in 2 tablespoons water, then set aside.

Wipe out the skillet, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil and heat it over medium-high. Pat the steak dry, sprinkle it on both sides with salt and pepper, then add it to the skillet. Cook the steak to desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare, then transfer it to a platter, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.

While the steak is resting, add a tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the spinach in 4 batches, adding more as each batch cooks down slightly. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil after the first 2 batches of spinach. Cook until the spinach is just wilted, then add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute, then keep warm on low heat.

Remove the potato pancake from the oven and cut it into 6 wedges. Slice the steak thinly at an angle against the grain. Add the juices from the resting steak to the sauce along with the fresh tarragon, and additional water, if necessary, to reach the desired consistency. Warm the sauce over medium heat just until hot.

Transfer a potato wedge, a mound of spinach and some of the steak to each of 6 serving plates. Drizzle the sauce over each portion of steak and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 470 calories; 190 calories from fat (40 percent of total calories); 21 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 33 g protein; 660 mg sodium.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Graham Kerr, 90, leans down and kisses his new wife, Nancy, during Senior Expo on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Hotel Indigo in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Galloping Gourmet’ celebrity chef Graham Kerr is a Stanwood newlywed

The 90-year-old shared his love of Nancy, God and Costco at the Everett senior expo last month.

Jon Kim freestyles during a RTHMZ rehearsal Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Moving with love: Lynnwood’s RTHMZ dances to their own beat

The team brings together dancers from across styles to raise the bar of what’s possible in the local scene.

Stress management, meditation or relaxation to reduce anxiety, control emotion during problem solving or frustration work concept, woman in lotus meditation on chaos mess line with positive energy.
Sharing reflections on 50 years of meditation

Meditation is no quick fix, but if you establish a consistent practice, over time, you’ll appreciate the results.

In the “rickety-chic” Psyrri neighborhood of Athens, you’ll find slick outdoor restaurants next to vibrant street art. (Cameron Hewitt)
No need to scram from an Athens on the rise

Rick Steves used to think of Athens as a big ugly city. But while updating his guidebook one summer, he discovered a many-faceted city that’s getting its act together.

chris elliott.
Why won’t Airbnb cover my hotel expenses? They promised!

When David Tuttle’s Airbnb host moves him to a different rental, Airbnb offers to cover his hotel expenses, but a month has passed since. Where’s the money?

Oumou Sangare, from Senegal, performs at the "Africa Standing Tall Against Poverty" in concert with Live8 in Johannesburg Saturday July 2, 2005. (AP Photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Hear Grammy winner Oumou Sangare on Saturday in Edmonds. Also on Saturday: The Everett Film Festival.

Jimmer DeGroot stands along the line of weber grills in his front yard on Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Grotto, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Why are there 24 Weber grills lined up on the highway to Stevens Pass?

Just ask Jimmer De Groot. He expresses his love of grills through his art. And it’s now a bit of an obsession.

The 2024 Kia Telluride midsize SUV is available in 10 trim levels, all sporting the same V6 engine. (Photo provided by Kia)
2024 Kia Telluride makes every drive a pleasure

The midsize SUV has more going for it than many others in its class.

Carrying the Newcomb College name, this rare sewing bag fetched a bundle

Who made this linen and silk bag featuring a Louisiana landscape is unknown. The quality of its craftmanship, however, is clear.

Market for sale plants. Many plants in pots
Snohomish Garden Club plans annual plant sale

The event is scheduled for April 27 at Swan’s Trail Farms. Proceeds will go to scholarships.

Bleeding heart
These colorful spring perennials are awakening from their winter slumber

From bleeding hearts and lungwort to candytuft and carnations, a rebirth of bright flowers and striking foliage has begun.

Snohomish County PUD’s Energy Block Party has something for everyone

By Snohomish County PUD Have you ever thought about putting solar panels… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.