Flatiron Steaks with Creamy Juniper Sauce and Hash Browns: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Serves 4

Active time:45 min
Start to finish:1 hr

October 2008

When the gang is coming over for poker night, don’t order pizza and subs—this is what you should make. Flatiron steak is meaty, tender, and deeply satisfying. Crisped spuds soak up the meat’s creamy, woodsy sauce, and we love the simplicity of making a single large hash brown that can be cut into multiple wedges.

1 1/2 lb russet (baking) potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
40 juniper berries
1 (1 1/2- to 1 3/4-lb) flatiron steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup sliced shallot
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream

Equipment:

an electric coffee/spice grinder

Make hash browns:

Bring a 4-qt pot of salted water (1 Tbsp salt for 3 qt water) to a boil. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Add potatoes to water and return to a boil, then boil 5 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, cook onion in butter with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add to potatoes and mash gently, leaving larger lumps.
Add 2 Tbsp oil to skillet and heat over medium heat until it shimmers. Add potato mixture and pat out evenly. Cook, partially covered, without stirring, until underside is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Keep warm, covered, off heat.

Cook steaks:

Finely grind juniper berries in grinder. Pat steaks dry and season with 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground juniper (reserve remainder for sauce), and 3/4 tsp pepper (total).
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook steaks, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare. Let steaks rest on a plate, loosely covered with foil, about 10 minutes.

Make sauce while steaks rest:

Add shallot to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until shallot is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine and remaining ground juniper (about 1 tsp), then boil until most of liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth and cream and boil until sauce is reduced to about 11/4 cups, 3 to 5 minutes. Add meat juices from plate and season with salt and pepper.
Serve steaks over hash browns and with sauce.

Cooks’ note: We’ve also got a web-exclusive recipe using the leftover juniper berries.

Recipe by Ian Knauer

Photograph by Romulo Yanes