Real Food with Mike

Might sound complicated, but this is actually really simple.

Liberally apply kosher or sea salt to both side and freshly ground black pepper to one side of the steak.




Then put about a quarter cup of black peppercorns into a couple of ziploc bags and beat it like it owes you money until very coarsely cracked, as such:





Place those cracked peppercorns onto a plate and drop your steak onto it. Shouldn't need any sort of oil or any other liquid to get it to stick, the steak's natural moisture should take care of that. Get a good coat on there, as some of it will fall off during cooking.






Then, let that steak sit out until it's at room temperature.



Next up is the maple-glazed roasted carrots. I used very young carrots for this...true baby carrots would be best, and I would avoid using mature carrots altogether because they don't have the same level of natural sweetness.






First combine about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil or melted butter (I used the oil) with a tablespoon of high-quality, real maple syrup. Yes, real, not Mrs. Butterworth's or Aunt Jemima's recipe. Sprinkle a little salt in, mix well until an emulsion is formed, then toss your carrots in the mixture until well-coated. Place in a 500 degree oven, covered loosely with foil, for about 25 minutes or until fork-tender but still fairly crisp.







Roundabout this time you should be considering some ingredients for your horseradish-spiked risotto:

-1 cup Carnaloni (preferred) or Arborio rice
-1/2 cup white wine
-4 to 5 cups stock (vegetable is what I used, but you can just as easily use beef or chicken)
-4 cloves minced garlic
-1/2 large onion (whatever kind you like)
-About a tablespoon of very finely minced (not grated) FRESH horseradish - if you can't get fresh, don't bother using it at all
-Kosher/sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
-Pinch of red pepper flakes (how much is up to you, it will already be a bit spicy due to the horseradish)



Risotto is one of those things that is very intimidating to a lot of cooks but really should not be - very, very simple to do. Here's how you make it:

Before you begin, put your stock in a separate pan and heat it until simmering. If you don't do this, not only will your risotto take a lot longer to make, but you won't get the signature creamy texture that makes it what it is.

Sweat your onion, garlic, and horseradish, along with a good pinch of salt/pepper and red pepper flakes, in about two tablespoons of olive oil until translucent and very fragrant. Put in your rice and stir until all the pieces of rice are well-coated in the oil. Crank the heat up to about medium and pour in your white wine. Allow to evaporate until it is about half the original volume of liquid, then begin ladling in your stock. You want to put in about a half cup of stock for each addition, and wait until it has cooked into the rice before adding the next installment. The whole time you want the pan at a somewhat brisk simmer - too slow and you'll be there for a day stirring it, too hot and you won't allow the rice to absorb the liquid, which will, again, mess up your end result in the texture department.









Keep on trucking along until you get to this point:









Turn your heat as low as it will go and stir in a couple of tablespoons of butter, taste for seasoning (if you did this right you shouldn't need to add anything), and clamp on the lid. This stuff is ready to go when you are.


Did I mention that you should have finely grated about an inch-long piece of horseradish to either top the steak with after it is cooked or place into the risotto if you want to add a bit more heat? Do that, then come back.








Now comes the grand finale: it's time to cook that filet you have sitting on the counter.

Heat a large skillet (cast iron would be preferable, but I used a standard all-clad) in that same 500 degree oven you're cooking your carrots in for about 5 minutes or approximately until it can melt through the floor.


Put a tablespoon of clarified butter (butter with the milk solids and water boiled off) and a tablespoon of vegetable/canola oil into your pan. Drop in the steak, peppercorn side down first, and cook for about 2 minutes or until you have a lovely crust.











Flip it over, tent the pan loosely with foil, and drop it in the oven for about 4 more minutes for medium rare/medium-ish. When in doubt, you can use a thermometer, but if you have any idea what you're doing you can tell just by using your fingers.

When it's done, place it on a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 3 or 4 minutes while you get everything else together.


Slice your steak thinly and serve with your risotto, carrots, and, if you so desire, some of that freshly grated horseradish on top.








Enjoy