Steak and Tomatoes

QUICK SUPPER:
STEAK & TOMATOES

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 4

STEAK
• Ribeye steaks for 4 (see Alanna’s TIPS), warmed to room temperature for 30 minutes
• Olive oil
• Spice rub for meat (see TIPS)
• Red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon bacon grease or olive oil

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE for TOMATOES (double if adding okra or other optional vegetables)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar or another mild vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

TOMATOES
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, slivered
• 4 small onions, peeled and sliced vertically into wedges
• 4 small ripe but firm tomatoes, sliced vertically into wedges
• 1/2 pound okra or other vegetables, optional (see TIPS)

STEAKS Place an oven-safe skillet (for simplicity, let’s call it Skillet One) in the oven and preheat oven to 300F. Rub the steaks with oil, a little spice rub, then wet the tops with a splash of red wine vinegar.
Heat the bacon grease in a second skillet (that would be Skillet Two) on medium high, drop in the steaks to sear without moving for 2-3 minutes, putting a little burn (see TIPS) on the outside. Turn over and sear the other side.
Transfer the meat to Skillet One and finish cooking in the oven, until the internal temperature reaches 120F. (How long will that take? "Awhile" says my Culinary Co-Conspirator who's usually in charge of the meat. Me, I use an electronic thermometer to avoid undercooking or overcooking.) When it does, turn off the oven and let the meat rest while continuing.

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE While the steaks cook, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

TOMATOES While the steaks finish in the oven, add the garlic and onion to Skillet Two (it should still be hot and have a good shimmer of fat left, if not reheat and add a little oil), cook for 1-2 minutes until golden, then push to the side. Add the tomatoes in a single layer, stirring only very occasionally to permit a slight ‘burn’ to develop. Add the okra or other vegetables.

Stir in the Sweet & Sour Sauce and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes and onions and other vegetables are gently cooked and well-coated with the sauce. Taste and adjust as needed (see Jaden’s TIPS).

SERVE Fill plates with the tomato mixture, top with the steaks, drizzle a little sauce over the steaks. Consider having a loaf of crusty bread nearby to sop up the juices. Savor every bite!

JADEN’s TIPS We found the Sweet & Sour Sauce to be “spot on” perfect for the tomatoes. But in her cookbook, Jaden says to taste the sauce and a bite of tomato before serving. If it’s too puckery, she advises, add 1/2 teaspoon sugar. If it’s not sour enough? Add 1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar. If it needs salt? Add 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce. If the sweet and sour is too strong? Add a tablespoon of water. The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook is filled with little tips like this, ones that build confidence in new and experienced cooks both. 

 

NUTRITION ESTIMATE (How many calories in Steak & Tomatoes? How many Weight Watchers points in Steak & Tomatoes?) Per Serving, Whole Meal, assumes 4 ounces raw steak per serving without/with optional vegetables plus extra sauce: 354/402 Calories; 19g Tot Fat; g Sat Fat; 54mg Cholesterol; 185/307mg Sodium; 18/29g Carb; 2/4g Fiber; 13/20g Sugar; 22/24g Protein; Weight Watchers 8/9 points

 

Adapted from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, a complimentary copy from Jaden and the publisher Tuttle Publishing My Disclosure Promise

 

From here.