Valentines Day Dinner

So... have you thought about it yet?  Your plans?  And not being in a relationship isn't an excuse to not have any, because it's also as my sister La calls it, "Single Awareness Day", which is certainly also a reason to celebrate.  Johnny and I used to do the whole romantic dinner out, making reservations months in advance to make sure we got in at the 'it' restaurant or really any restaurant for that matter.  But after a couple of VERY expensive/not very good dinners we gave that up.  It seemed like we could go out the weekend before or after Valentines Day and get a much better meal at the same restaurant for half the price as on Valentines Day.  There always seems to be a generic menu you have to choose from and very specific time slots and seriously jacked up prices.  It's just weird right?  And to me, it just always comes across as cheesy, all those rows and rows of tables just set for two with a single rose.  And the whole thing is so rushed!  One time we even had to order dessert as soon as we sat down!  I guess my lack of restaurant experience is maybe obvious here and I'm sure all of this is to make it more efficient for the chefs and waiters and what not, but call me crazy, when I'm paying $100 for a meal I might want to take my time and possibly even wait until after, I don't know, the APPETIZER before I order dessert!  Yup, it's been a few years since we've gone out and I'm still a bit peeved by it.  And these were good restaurants!  Sorry... rage alert.  

So, after all of that I gave up.  I figured I'd cook something instead.  I feel like I have so many cookbooks that target fancier meals that I never make so I might as well give one a try.  I had pulled out a Bon Appetit recipe and set aside for such an occasion.  And I had just taken my cooking class and bought the wonderful Tante Marie cookbook and found the perfect side dish.  So I made this fabulous meal a few years ago, and it was seriously one of the best meals I have ever made.  At the time Johnny said it was the best steak he had ever had.  It was delicious.  Since then, I think I was scared to remake for fear that it wouldn't live up to our memory.  But in my attempts to start thinking ahead for this blog (which shouldn't be a hard thing for me, being a crazy planner, already pondering Easter brunch ideas...) I decided to recreate this meal and post it for you.

So I hope you aren't hungry as you are reading this.  Because if you are you will want to make it for your next meal instead of Valentines Day.  It starts with a steak.  The ultimate steak, at least in my mind, a filet mignon.  Cute, petit, delicate yet hearty and the most satisfying steak you will ever eat.  And most good steaks don't need much to make it good, just a little butter and salt and pepper.  But it's also Valentines Day, so you want to make it a bit more exciting than that.  It is coated with a ground porcini mushroom powder, then pan-seared in an herb butter and topped with the herb butter as well.  Wow, right?  Are you thinking "wow"?  You should be thinking "wow".  If not, maybe it's because you don't know about dried porcini mushrooms.  It is exactly that, but so much more.  I love mushrooms, but I wouldn't say that these taste really 'mushroomy', they just have an incredible amount of flavor in this tiny 1/2 oz or so that you will use.  I found myself wanting to just chew at the top of the steak to get all the porcini coating flavor from the outside kind of like the way a kid would eat a frosted donut, but I held myself back.  I mean it is supposed to be romantic.  But seriously the porcinis add an incredible amount of flavor and I think I could eat the porcini powder and herb butter on it's own, but on the steak it is truly indulgent and screams 'special occasion'.

Another reason this recipe is so great is because it is relatively quick, it is Valentines Day and you don't want to be slaving away in the kitchen.  You can make the porcini powder in advance (although it is quick to make) and the herb butter and then just sear the steak right before eating.

I think a steak like this deserves a side dish that won't steal the show but doesn't come across as boring in comparison.  I decided I only wanted to make one other dish, not two since the steak is pretty filling but also wanted to have the rounded out meal of grain/protein/veggie.   I landed on a polenta with sauteed greens recipe that I thought would be perfect.  It is a bit more exciting than an every day side dish like broccoli or potatoes, and very seasonal to cook greens in the winter.  Oh, and did I mention the polenta also has cheese in it?  And if you buy quick cooking polenta it cooks in 1 minute.  Yes, 1 minute.  Sauteeing greens will take no longer than 10 minutes so you can then turn your attention to your steak.

So yes, I recreated this meal this past weekend to make all of your Valentines Day/Single Awareness Day's run a bit smoother.  I have it all figured out for you.  So now, pick up the phone and cancel those reservations and make a grocery list instead.  You won't be disappointed.  Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to make...

Trish's Tips:  Cooking meat is very fickle.  Never, ever just trust the time listed in a recipe, as there are so many factors.  If your meat is cold when you start cooking, if it is room temp, how hot your pan is, how hot your stove is, how thick your steak is.  So you can never just say "the recipe says to cook for x minutes".  You could ruin a pretty expensive cut of meat that way.  So I will say this:  mine was grass-fed (which is leaner and therefore cooks quicker), 2-inch thick, 8 oz steaks and they cooked in about 6 minutes on each side.  One was a bit smaller so I took it off earlier.  But really you have to just pay attention.  I got my pan nice and hot.  Put the butter in just until it is melted and then put the steaks in.  DO NOT TOUCH!  You will not get a good, delicious crust if you keep poking and prodding.  Don't touch for at least 3 minutes, preferably 4-6.  Then peek or flip.  It will look really really dark because of the porcini crust.  It isn't burnt.   You want a crust.  Then flip again.  Wait a couple more minutes.  Then touch the meat with your pointer finger.  This is how the pros do it.  In fact touch it before you put it on and keep in mind how it feels.  Then after flipping feel the outside of the steak vs. the center.  It will be denser where it has cooked more.  Keep touching.  You want it to be softer vs. firmer depending on how you like it done.  It does, however, take a lot of experience to do this, so don't be afraid to cut in to it to take a peek.  Better to have a slit in the middle and let some juices run then a well-done piece of steak and a pissed off Chef at ruining such an expensive piece of meat.  Here's the order in which I would cook the meal:
1.  Take steak out of fridge to come to room-temp and salt & pepper
2.  Make herb butter
3.  Make porcini powder
4.  Measure and chop everything for side dish, get pans out and prepared.  Meanwhile heat up steak pan & pan for greens.
5.  Press steak into porcini powder
6.  Cook sauteed greens and cook steak.  (If you aren't comfortable doing them both at once, cook the greens first then turn burner off, cover and keep warm)
7.  While steaks rest cook polenta.
8.  If greens aren't still warm reheat in pan.
9.  Plate, eat and enjoy!

Porcini-Crusted Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb Butter
Adapted from Bon Appetit May 2007
serves 2

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 TBL minced fresh chives
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh tarragon
1/2 to 1 small garlic clove, pressed (depending on your love of garlic and comfort with your date)
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms (you should be able to find in the produce section)
2 - 2 inch thick filet mignon steaks, about 8 oz each
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl for herb butter.  Season butter to taste with salt.  (Could be made 1 day in advance.)  Process dried porcini mushrooms in spice grinder, mortar & pestle or mini food processor to a fine powder.  (Could be done several days in advance.)  Transfer powder to plate.

Bring steaks to room-temperature at least an hour before cooking.  Salt & pepper steaks immediately upon taking out of fridge.  Just before cooking press steaks into porcini powder to coat all sides.  Heat pan over medium-high heat.  Melt 2 TBL herb butter in heavy, large skillet and cook to desired doneness.  Watch carefully and see 'Trish's Tips'.  Transfer steaks to plates when done.  Spoon rounded tablespoon of herb butter atop each steak and serve.

Creamy Polenta with Winter Greens
Adapted from The Tante Marie's Cooking School Cookbook
Serves 2

Add'l tips: This recipe also calls for a red pepper.  You would saute that with the garlic but for longer before you add the greens.  I didn't have one so didn't use, but it would be a great addition.  Use whatever cheese you like.  I like Dubliner sharp white cheddar.  You really could use any combination of greens here.  I didn't use 'Quick Cooking Polenta', but it certainly was.  Make sure you check the package directions and follow those.  I originally followed the recipe from my book then realized it was done after 2 minutes and my timing with the steak was totally off.  

1/2 cup polenta type cornmeal (look at the directions on the side of the package, it should be quick cooking in under 5 minutes)
6 oz white cheddar, shredded
1 bunch swiss chard, tough inner stems removed, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
1 bunch (about 5 oz) baby spinach leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
coarse salt
Olive Oil
salt
freshly ground pepper

Heat 1 TBL olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.  Add the greens and a generous sprinkling of salt.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes to steam the greens.  Remove the cover and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the greens begin to wilt, but still retain their color.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Follow package directions to cook polenta.  Chances are it will tell you to boil in 1 cup of water or so with a pinch of salt.  Once the water boils you will need to stir constantly, first with a whisk then turn heat to low and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the spoon will stand up on it's own.  Right before it gets to that point turn the heat off and add the cheese.  Stir to melt and add salt and pepper to taste.  Then serve immediately with greens on top.