Porterhouse Steaks

A visit from Reid’s friend, Adam was cause for celebration at home this week, especially because he was just accepted at several law schools.  Congratulations, Adam!   We had the butcher prepare extra thick steaks, rubbed them with some new flavours, and served them with Hugh Carpenter’s decadent mushroom sauce to make something ordinary a little special.

Porterhouse Steak with 5-Spice Rub and Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

2 porterhouse steaks, 1 ½” thick

For the rub:

1 ½ tablespoons 5-spice powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar

For the Shiitake Mushroom Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced

1 ¼ cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons sherry

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sambal olek

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the steaks and rub into the meat.  Let stand, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight.  Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM-HIGH then reduce heat to MEDIUM.   Clean the grids with a grill brush, then coat them lightly with oil.  (Or, hold the steaks with tongs, and rub the fat side along the grids to lubricate them).  Place the steaks on the grill and cook for a total of 16 minutes, following the Broil King guide for Perfect Grill Marks. 

For the sauce, heat the butter in a skillet and add the ginger.  Sauté for a minute before adding the mushrooms.   Cook on MEDIUM until the mushrooms are softened and lightly browned.  Add the remaining ingredients except for the cilantro, and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes.  Serve the sauce over the steak or on top of rice noodles and garnish with cilantro.

Sticky Toffee Puddings

½ pound dates, pitted and chopped

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons butter, softened

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ tablespoons baking powder

For the Sauce:

½ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup whipping cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Butter and flour 6 large ramekins. 

Place the dates in a saucepan with 1 ¾ cups cold water.  Bring to a boil, stirring to break up the dates.  Simmer for a minute or two before removing from the heat.  Stir in the baking soda, which will cause the mixture to bubble up.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale.  Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla followed by the flour and salt, mixing briefly to form a lumpy dough.  Add the warm date mixture in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.  The dough will be quite watery.  Add the baking powder, which will also bubble up.

Pour the batter into the large ramekins, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until firm and cooked through. 

For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for a minute until thickened and well blended. 

Poke the baked puddings all over with a toothpick or skewer, and pour the caramel sauce overtop while they are still warm.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then serve with ice cream or whipped cream.