Preparation / Directions:
Earthy olive paste offers a Mediterranean twist to grilled steaks that are also complemented by a slightly sweet port wine sauce. The first time I tasted this, at Campanile Restaurant in Los Angeles, a large entrec6te section of beef was served in a rustic presentation. At home, New York steaks work best on the grill, served attractively in overlapping slices.
Simple techniques for reducing the sauce and grilling the steak make this a dish that even the beginning cook can accomplish with finesse--a good thing, because this is a wonderful dinner party dish. You can easily double this recipe.
Olive paste is available at specialty food stores, or you can make your own: 25 pitted Nisoise olives pureed with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a food processormakes 3 tablespoons of olive paste.
RECOMMENDED WINE: This is another aggressively flavored dish that goes very nicely with Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, or a young Cabernet Sauvignon.
1. For the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, add the shallots, and saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine and port, turn up the heat to high, and reduce by half to make a syrupy glaze. Add the stock and reduce by a quarter or until the sauce barely coats the back of the spoon. Add the cream and reduce for another few minutes, until it coats a spoon. Add salt and cracked pepper and taste for seasoning. Reserve the sauce.
2. Prepare a grill for medium-high-heat grilling or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil the steak about 3 inches from the heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until browned but still rare. Place the steaks on a carving platter, season lightly with salt and pepper, and spread the top of each steak with a thin coat of the olive paste. Cut the steaks into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spoon some sauce onto a serving plate and place the steak slices, slightly overlapping, on top. Garnish with watercress or parsley and serve immediately.
ADVANCE PREPARATION: The sauce can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently over low heat.
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