FRENCH ONION SOUP STEAK

Here’s a recipe born from laziness and my hate for the cold weather. Laziness, because I didn’t want to go to the supermarket or leave the house. And I didn’t want to leave the house because it was 9°F.

I love French onion soup, but I had just made that for dinner several days ago. I rummaged through my freezer and found a package of chuck tender steaks, a cut of meat I had never purchased before. They looked like filet mignon rounds, and I thought I’d give them a try. I had grilled a couple of the steaks a week earlier, but these more affordable imposters were not nearly as tender as the real thing. I realized the only thing I could do with the rest of them was find a recipe where they cooked for a very long time.

I toyed with a few ideas, looked in my fridge, but when I saw the massive amount of onions in the vegetable bin, the answer came to me¾comfort food at its best.

French Onion Soup Steak

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

4 large Vidalia onions, sliced

1 tablespoon sugar

3 chuck tender steaks (Looks like beef tenderloin in size and cut)

1 cup white wine

A splash of Worcestershire sauce

48 ounces beef broth

2 bay leaves

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon cognac

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ cup water

Mashed potatoes

Method

Melt the butter in a pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions and sugar. Sauté for ten minutes. Add the steaks, browning them on each side, and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the wine, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Lower to a simmer for ninety minutes until the meat is tender. Stir in the cognac.

In a small bowl, whisk the water and cornstarch together, then stir into the pot to thicken the broth. The consistency should not be as thin as soup but not as thick as gravy.

Place one steak over mashed potatoes per plate. Ladle French onion sauce generously over the meat.

Yields 3 servings