When I Want Steak, This Is the Only Recipe I Turn To
Although I used to be a vegetarian, dating my now-husband eventually turned me into an omnivore. And while I still pretty much stick to a plant-based diet, there are occasional moments when a steak dinner calls to me. It’s not just any old steak dinner, though — it’s my colleague Christine Gallary’s recipe for balsamic glazed steak tips and mushrooms.
I first made this easy skillet dinner on a whim on a blustery winter night years ago. Ever since, I start to crave it when the temperature drops and my body begs for a little extra sustenance in the form of red meat. Pieces of steak are marinated in an ultra-savory combination of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and Dijon mustard, then pan-seared and tossed with buttery balsamic glazed mushrooms. It’s so flavorful that it tastes pretty darn impressive, and yet it’s so quick to pull together that it’s total weeknight material.
Get the recipe: Easy Balsamic Glazed Steak Tips and Mushrooms
How to Make Balsamic Glazed Steak Tips and Mushrooms
The only foresight that’s required for this recipe is marinating the steak. However, you only need to do that an hour, or up to a few hours, ahead of time. You’ll place the steak tips in a baking dish or large zip-top bag and pour over a mixture of soy sauce, vegetable oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, garlic, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.
When you’re ready to cook, you’ll remove the steak from the marinade, pat the pieces dry with a paper towel, and sear them in a hot skillet until browned and cooked to your liking. You’ll then transfer the cooked steak to a serving dish and tent the dish with foil to keep it warm while you sauté a whole pound of cremini mushrooms.
Once the mushrooms are browned and tender, you’ll remove the pan from the heat, stir in some more balsamic and a bit of butter, then pour the saucy mixture over the steak and dig in.
If You’re Making These Balsamic Glazed Steak Tips and Mushrooms, a Few Tips
It’s OK if you can’t find steak tips. While “steak tips” are in the recipe’s name, I’ve always had trouble finding this inexpensive cut of beef outside of New England, where I grew up. Instead, I make it with flank steak, which is similar in texture and flavor.
Don’t freak out when the pan burns. Every time I make this recipe I panic because the pan burns like crazy when I sear the steak. But trust me that this will be resolved once the mushrooms start releasing their liquid. Deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon once this happens. Drying the steak well with paper towels also helps, since the sugar in the marinade is what causes the pan to burn.
Serve this recipe simply. What I love about this recipe is that it doesn’t skimp on the mushrooms. While they could easily play a minor background role, they’re equal to the steak in this dish. That means for every bite of steak, you get a bite of mushroom, and you don’t need multiple sides to round out the meat. I typically serve this recipe with butter-roasted sweet potatoes (another one of my all-time favorite Kitchn recipes) to lean into the night’s indulgence and bring color to the plate. A simple green salad would be great, too.
Get the recipe: Easy Balsamic Glazed Steak Tips and Mushrooms
This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: When I Want Steak, This Is the Only Recipe I Turn To
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