Beef Steak Florentine Food

STEAK FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat and when hot, add the shallots and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft. Add the spinach to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, or until the spinach just wilts. Do not let it get too limp. Remove the pan from the heat, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
• In a small sauté pan, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat and cook the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes or until it begins to brown. Set aside.
• Lightly sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper.
• In another large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and when very hot, sear the steaks for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the steaks to a roasting pan and roast for 3 to 4 minutes or until barely medium-rare.
• Remove the steaks from the oven and turn on the broiler.Drain the liquid from the spinach and spread the spinach in a broiler pan. Set the steaks on top of the spinach and then top each steak with the garlic and butter. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cheese over each steak and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese melts and is lightly browned. Let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Divide between 2 plates.

BEEFSTEAK FLORENTINE IN OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC MARINADE WITH NANCY'S MUSHROOM VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Make the marinade: mix together the oil, salt, pepper, and the garlic in a small bowl. Put the steak in shallow bowl or a dish and rub the mixture all over the meat. Marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours or, better still, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Turn the meat from time to time to coat both sides evenly.
• To prepare: remove the steak from the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking. When you are ready to grill, prepare a charcoal fire so that you have areas of higher and lower heat.
• Drain off any excess oil from the steak. Sear the steak over the high-heat area of the grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the grill rack and sprinkle 2 cups soaked hickory or oak chips on the low-heat part of the fire. Replace the grill and place the steak over the low-heat area. Cover the grill, but turn the steak frequently; this should take 10 to 20 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the steak and the heat of the fire. Check the interior of the meat with an instant-read thermometer, and remove the steaks at 5 to 7 degrees below the desired degree of doneness. Let the steak rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes or so before carving.
• To carve, cut the loin meat and the fillet meat away from the bone. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange meat on a platter with the lemon wedges. Serve with vinaigrette.
• Place the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover and soak for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the soaked mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Chop them and set them aside. Carefully pour the soaking liquid into a saucepan, leaving the last bit of liquid and any grit behind. Add the vermouth or sherry and the chicken or veal stock and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the flavors are concentrated and the sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside while you cook the mushrooms.
• Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and shallots or garlic and cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Put in the reserved dried mushrooms and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. If any liquid accumulates in the skillet, pour it into the saucepan with the reduced sauce. Boil the sauce briefly, if you wish, to intensify the flavors further.
• Pour the reduced sauce over the mushrooms and add both vinegars. Using a whisk, beat in enough of the remaining oil to form a slightly thick, homogenous vinaigrette. Taste for salt and pepper and red wine vinegar and serve with steak.

BEEF FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until evenly brown; drain excess fat. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in tomato sauce and water. Remove from heat, and stir in cooked noodles.
• In a medium bowl, combine spinach, cottage cheese, onion, and Parmesan cheese. Spread half of noodle mixture in a large casserole dish. Layer with all of spinach mixture, then cover with remaining noodle mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cover with mozzarella, and continue cooking 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA (TUSCAN PORTERHOUSE)

Steps:

• Press chopped rosemary onto both sides of porterhouse steak; set onto a plate and allow to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Start an outdoor grill using hardwood charcoal, such as hickory. When coals are white and glowing, arrange for high heat.
• Gently brush or rub olive oil onto steak, then season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
• Place steak onto grill, and cook until a dark, golden brown (not burnt) crust forms, 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of meat. Turn over, and continue cooking until golden on the other side, 5 to 10 minutes more. When finished, place steak onto a platter, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• To serve, remove the two pieces of meat from the bone, and replace the bone onto the serving platter. Trim any unwanted fat from the round (tenderloin) steak, slice into 6 equal pieces at an angle to the grain, and fan out on one side of the bone. Slice the rectangular (loin) steak into 1/4-inch slices at an angle to the grain. Fan out on the other side of the bone. Finish by garnishing the platter with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of additional sea salt.

STEAK & MUSHROOM FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned, stirring often. Remove the beef from the skillet. Pour off any fat.
• Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender-crisp. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted.
• Stir the soup and water in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the beef to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the beef is cooked through, serve the beef mixture over the tomato. Season with the black pepper.
• SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with hot cooked whole-grain egg noodles and a green salad with Dijon vinaigrette. For dessert serve fresh fruit salad.

FLANK STEAK FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lay steak out flat on the cutting board and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread entire block of cream cheese on one side of steak (really pile it on there!); sprinkle cream cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle cream cheese side with spinach, then fold other half of steak over the side with cream cheese.
• Place on baking sheet, then pour beef stock and red wine over the top. Bake for 60 minutes, adding additional beef stock as needed.
• When done, remove from oven and place steak on cutting board to rest. Pour drippings into pan and whisk in mixture of water and corn starch, then bring to boil and cook to desired thickness.
• Serve slices of steak with gravy (there is no good way to cut this by the way!).

FLANK STEAK FLORENTINE

Steps:

• 1. Pound stead to 1/4 inch thickness, using a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Set aside.
• 2. Cook the spinach according to the package directions. Drain well. Combine spinach, egg, and the next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Spread half of the spinach mixture over each flank steak to within 1 inch of the sides. Roll up the steaks , starting with the short sides. Tie with heavy kitchen string at 2-inch intervals.
• 3. Brown the steaks in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the steaks in an ungreased 11 x 7 x 1 1/2 inch baking dish.
• 4. Combine the tomato sauce, wine, onion, and garlic; pour over the steaks. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the steaks to a serving platter, reserving the tomato sauce mix. Set aside and keep warm.
• 5. Add enough water to the tomato mixture to measure 1 3/4 cups. Place tomato sauce mixture in a small saucepan. Combine 1/4 cup water and flour, stirring until smooth. Stir the flour mixture into the tomato sauce mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
• 6. To serve, slice the steak diagonally across the grain into 1 inch slices. Serve with the tomato gravy.