Grilled rib eye with sauteed mushrooms with shallots and red wine sauce and grilled sweet potato

I am not a huge meat eater, but from time to time my body says, “STEAK.”

And my partner, who will barbecue in any weather, always says, “Sure thing.”

I’m not the steak chef so I won’t put the recipe here, but do choose a well-marbled piece of meat. We like rib-eye.

While he is outside in the snow and ice barbecuing, I prepare the sides. In this case, sautéed mushrooms with shallots with red wine and sweet potatoes with onions.

Because when all is said and done, what I really like about a well-cooked juicy steak is what I add to it. And the wine, of course. If not with a good piece of steak, then when?

Sauteed mushrooms with shallots

Touche pas! Mushrooms and shallots like being ignored

The secret for golden mushrooms is benign neglect. Suppress the urge to mix them in the skillet. Let them be and they will get a lovely colour over fairly high heat.

Ingredients:
Mushrooms
Shallots
Unsalted butter (lots)
Fresh thyme
Sea salt

Guidelines
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until it bubbles.

Add sliced shallots and a sprig or two of thyme. Sprinkle sea salt over them. Turn down the heat and let them cook slowly in the butter. Ignore them mostly so they can get on with the slow and steady business of caramelizing (could be 10-15 minutes depending on how many you are cooking).

Clean the mushrooms with a soft brush or a paper-towel. Rip the mushrooms with your hands so you have big chunks. (I put big stems that separate from the caps in a large freezer bag along with random chicken bones and Parmesan cheese rinds for when I make stock.)

When the shallots are soft and browned here and there push them to one side of the skillet and tilt the skillet to get the butter to flow away from them. If there isn’t enough butter add more (there is always a lot of butter in Amélie’s Kitchen) and make sure it’s sizzling.

Toss the mushrooms into the butter and let them be. When you can smell their foresty “mushroom” scent then you can flip so all sides get golden.

When they are cooked mix them in with the shallots and add a splash of red wine. Let it reduce over gentle heat and add a couple of grinds of fresh black pepper and sea salt, if required. Swirl in more butter before serving, because, you know… butter.