Pan Seared Steak with Cherry Port Sauce

This delicious recipe, from our Cooking with Fortified Wines class, serves 6.

Steak

Drizzle of blended olive oil (extra virgin will smoke really bad!)
Six 6oz steaks, room temperature
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat your oven to 500 degrees. Put an iron pan in the oven until it is good and hot. Season the steaks with salt & pepper. Pull the pan from the oven, and put it on the stove on high flame. Drizzle with oil. Immediately put the steaks, a few at a time, in the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, then turn over and cook another 30 seconds. Put the pan in the oven, and cook for about 2-3 minutes more. Let the steaks rest for at least 5 minutes before serving, drizzled with Cherry Port Sauce.

Cherry Port Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

Drizzle of olive oil

¼ cup minced shallots

A couple sprigs of thyme

1 cup pitted cherries – believe it or not, frozen are ok

2 cups ruby port

Salt & black pepper to taste

2 tbs Beurre manie

Put the steak-free pan on the stove over medium heat, and add a little olive oil if needed. Add the shallots, and scrape the pan with a metal spatula or flat-bottomed wooden spatula. Sauté the shallots until translucent.

Add the thyme and cherries. Add the port, and stir. Continue to cook over medium high until the port is reduced by half. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the beurre manie, and stir until the sauce is thick. Enjoy.

Beurre Manie

Don't be afraid, this is so easy! Combine equal parts soft butter and flour, and knead between your fingers. Add this to sauces to provide a rich flavor and to thicken them – lump free!