Recipe of the Week: Sirloin Oscar

A Sirloin “Oscar” (steak topped with crabmeat and bearnaise sauce) is a decadent steakhouse dish from years past, but it is definitely worthy of recreating at home. All the elements can be assembled within 60 minutes or so, but your guests will think you’ve been cooking for the whole day. And if you really want to get indulgent, switch the sirloin for tenderloin steaks!

Sirloin Oscar

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the toasted breadcrumbs:
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp vegetable oil
To taste salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh chives
1/4 tsp lemon zest, grated with a microplane
Dash chili flakes

For the steak:
4 top sirloin steaks, each about 6 oz
To taste salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the Béarnaise:

¼  cup white wine
2 tbsp tarragon (or white wine) vinegar
½ piece shallot, sliced
2 sprigs tarragon, leaves finely minced, stems reserved
¼  tsp whole black peppercorns
1 egg yolk
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted completely
To taste salt and pepper

For the Asparagus:
24 stalks fresh asparagus, trimmed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish
1 tsp lemon juice

For the Crab:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1  lb jumbo lump crabmeat
2 tsp  lemon juice
Dash paprika

Method

1. For the toasted breadcrumbs, toss panko with oil, salt, and pepper in a glass or microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the microwave and cool completely before stirring in the chives, lemon zest, and chili flakes.  This step can be done well in advance - it keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

2. Season the steaks well with salt and pepper and set aside for 30-45 minutes to marinate.

3. Meanwhile, make the bearnaise: in a small saucepan, combine wine, vinegar, shallots, tarragon stems, and black peppercorns, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until reduced to about 1 tablespoon of liquid, about 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a small heatproof bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Let mixture cool slightly.

In a blender, combine egg yolks and the cooled wine-vinegar reduction. Blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter to continue emulsifying until the mixture is well combined and smooth (like a thin mayonnaise). If too thick, blend in some warm water. Stir in the minced tarragon, season to taste and set aside at room temperature.

4. To cook the steaks: set a large heavy bottomed pan over a high heat. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel (the salt would have drawn out some moisture), and rub with vegetable oil. When the pan is hot, add the steaks and cook, flipping every 30-60 seconds, until dark brown on both sides - this should take about 6-8 minutes altogether. Use an  internal thermometer to test the doneness of the steaks - 130°F will be a nice medium rare to medium. Remove from the pan and set aside on a tray to keep warm. 

5. In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the asparagus with a ½ cup of water. Simmer the asparagus until just cooked - about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan with tongs and set on the same tray with the steaks, keeping want until meal time. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, then put back on the heat, reducing to low.

6. Add the butter and garlic to the wiped out pan and saute until the garlic is fragrant and slightly translucent - about 3 minutes. Add the crab and mix well, warming the meat through. Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice and paprika.

7. To assemble, place 6 spears of asparagus on the bottom of each plate. Top each pile of asparagus with a steak, then a quarter of the crab meat mixture divided amongst the four plates. Finally, pour the bearnaise sauce over each steak, letting the sauce run over everything. Serve immediately.