Estate Dinners
Grilled Cap Steaks with Creamed Spinach and Sautéed Mushrooms
The Strategy:
Cap steaks cook quickly on a hot grill pan, yielding a juicy, tender cut that pairs perfectly with rich, classic sides. Layering fresh spinach with a velvety Gruyere cream sauce and deeply browned mushrooms creates an indulgent casserole that bakes until bubbling and golden. Let the steaks rest for a few minutes before slicing to lock in their natural juices.
Ingredients
- 4 (6 to 8-ounce) beef cap steaks (or beef tenderloin steaks)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 2 pounds fresh spinach leaves, about 8 cups
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated, about ½ cup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ pound fresh assorted wild mushrooms, sliced, about 2 cups
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about ½ cup
Instructions
- Marinate the steaks in a large bowl or dish by seasoning with Worcestershire, soy sauce, garlic and onion powders. (You can do this hours in advance and as much as overnight.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Add the spinach leaves and cook until they just begin to wilt.
- Season with some of the salt and pepper.
- Transfer the sautéed spinach to a colander and let it sit for several minutes to drain excess liquid.
- Pour the spinach into a medium size baking dish.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour and cook until bubbling, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk. Continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the Gruyere cheese.
- Pour the cream sauce over the spinach and toss to combine.
- Use the same skillet that you used for the spinach to melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan. DO NOT TOUCH THEM until they are deeply golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Flip the mushrooms over and sauté on the second side until golden, about another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle the mushrooms over the spinach.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake the spinach casserole until the cheese is melted and the spinach is bubbling, about 20 minutes.
- Prepare an outdoor grill, or heat up a grill pan on top of the stove to medium-high heat. Just before grilling, season the steaks with salt and pepper. Cap steaks will cook more quickly than their look-a-like filets.
- Grill for about 3 to 4 minutes per side and then check for doneness.
- Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving. Scoop a generous portion of the mushroom topped cream spinach onto a plate.
- Set the cap steak alongside the veggies.
The full recipe lives in the Vault
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The Heart of the Table
This dish brings the luxurious feel of a high-end steakhouse right into the home, making any dinner feel like a special occasion. The savory aroma of grilled meat, melting cheese, and earthy mushrooms fills the air, wrapping the table in a warm sense of comfort and celebration.
- a pre-seasoned double-burner cast-iron grill pan with high ridges
- a set of minimalist, mouth-blown crystal coupe glasses with slender stems
- a professional Hawthorne strainer with a tight-coil spring
- a set of heavy-gauge, satin-finished stainless steel mixing bowls
- a platinum-grade non-stick silicone baking mat for consistent heat conduction
Neighborly Grace
- THE PREPARATION: Serve the steaks on a dark stoneware platter next to the bubbly, golden spinach bake, garnished with a few fresh rosemary sprigs.
- THE POUR: A bold, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or a sparkling black tea infused with black currant juice and orange peel.
- THE VIBE: Evening Dining Room. Candlelight flickers against dark wood while the comforting sounds of soft piano music play, setting a warm, cozy tone for the steak dinner.
