Steak and Potatoes a Dud and a Flub

Things don't always work out when you cook. Or maybe you're different and every recipe always works out great for you, but not for me all the time. Take this dinner for instance. I had purchased a couple of really pricey steaks and they were cooked perfectly and the meat turned out to be sort of tough. Now, we like our steaks medium rare so it wasn't due to overcooking--we just got a couple of duds for steaks and that happens sometimes. So, that's a  product problem. Now sometimes you get user error and that's what happened to the potato dish. I made this wonderful version of Potatoes Anna and it turned out great but guess who salted the layers WAY too much?? Yep, that would be me but I'm blaming my son because he called while I was in the middle of making this and I was distracted. This potato dish calls for very thin slices that you layer with butter, salt and pepper. I was using Kosher salt (which was also a no no as it's not subtle) and I was gabbing away. Word to the wise, use the salt sparingly in the dish and you will have a beautiful version of Potatoes Anna. Ah, but I have to say, it looked gorgeous and you do eat with our eyes first so it was a success visually! ha


Steaks with Peppercorn Cream Sauce

1/4 cup coarsely crushed black peppercorns
2 rib eye steaks
1 T butter
1 t olive oil
1/3 cup beef broth
1 cup heavy cream

Coat both sides of steaks with salt and crushed peppercorns.
Melt butter and olive oil in heavy skillet, when smoking add the steaks and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then turn and do another 3 minutes (for medium rare). Remove steaks and cover with foil to keep warm.

Pour beef broth into skillet and whisk up brown bits--whisk in the cream and simmer sauce until it's reduced and thickened-6 to 7 minutes. Place steaks back in the skillet and turn to coat. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Potatoes Anna

Ingredients

• • 6 medium russet potatoes (2 3/4 pounds total), peeled
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Using a mandoline slice the potatoes as thinly as possible, 1/4 inch thick or thinner. (Do not place sliced potatoes in water; the starch is needed to bind the layers.).
2. Brush bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Starting in center of pan, arrange potato slices, slightly overlapping, in circular pattern, covering surface. Brush with another 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; season LIGHTLY with salt and pepper. Repeat for two more layers.
3. Place over high heat until butter in pan sizzles, 2 to 4 minutes.
4. Transfer to oven; bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Run a small spatula around edges of potatoes; slide large spatula underneath potatoes to loosen. Carefully invert onto a plate, and cut into wedges.