Kris Larkin

A couple of weekends ago, our little town had a large event pay tribute to the famed football coach; Knute Rockne.  As you can image, the event was very nostalgic and harkening back to the 1930’s and life in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas back then.  Well, Saturday night I prepared a dinner for about 30 people . . . the Rockne family and several folks on our Historical Society Board so I wanted to keep it in step with the times we were re-visiting . . . the 1930’s.  I wracked my brain for an appropriate menu and finally it came: What says 1930’s than a smothered steak?  Answer . . . nothing!  So here is the simple menu I prepared for that evening:

Irish Flag Salad

Slow & Smothered Beef Steaks

Rustic Potatoes

Sorghum-Glazed Baby Carrots

The dinner was a hit and so I am sharing those recipes with you.  Today, is the Slow & Smothered Beef Steaks and Rustic Potatoes.  Tomorrow, I will share the recipe for the Sorghum-Glazed Baby Carrots and the Irish Flag Salad was one of my posts from last month CLICK HERE for that recipe.  By tomorrow you will have all the pieces to do your own “Retro” dinner . . . just like they made in the 30’s!

SLOW & SMOTHERED BEEF STEAKS

WITH

RUSTIC POTATOES (with cauliflower)

PREP TIME:   20 Minutes

TOTAL TIME:  1 hour 20 Minutes

SERVES – 4

 Ingredients:

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

 STEAKS:

2 tbsp white whole-wheat flour

Olive oil cooking spray

1 lb lean top round beef, trimmed of fat, tenderized and cut into 4 pieces

1 thinly sliced onion

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 dried bay leaves

½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

¼ tsp sea salt

RUSTIC POTATOES:

Bessie waiting for dinner

12 oz Yukon gold potatoes, diced

8 oz fresh or frozen cauliflower florets (thawed if frozen)

3 tbsp skim milk

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Prepare steaks: Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly.  Immediately transfer from skillet to a small bowl.
2. Coat skillet with cooking spray and return to medium-high.  Add steaks and cook for 2 minutes on 1 side, until browned, and set aside on a plate.  Coat skillet again with cooking spray, add onion and cook for 4 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Sprinkle flour evenly over top of onions, stir until well coated.  Gradually add broth, stirring constantly.  Stir in Worcestershire, bay leaves, pepper and salt.  Return beef and any accumulated juices on plate to skillet, cooked side up.  Spoon broth mixture over beef and bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, over and cook for 1 hour, 15 minutes or until beef is very tender.
3. Meanwhile, prepare potatoes:  Fill a pot with 1 inch of water and fit with steamer basket.  Place potatoes and cauliflower in steamer basket and bring water to a boil on high heat.  Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 7 to 8 minutes.  Transfer potato-cauliflower mixture to a large bowl and mash roughly with a potato masher or whisk.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
4. To serve, divide potato-cauliflower mixture evenly among 4 plates.  Add 1 steak to each and spoon onion gravy evenly over top.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Enjoy and stay tuned for the baby carrot recipe!  As always, thank you for reading!

Kris

To learn more about Cooking Classes at The Lark Inn or about kicking back for a relaxing stay in the gorgeous Flint Hills of Kansas CLICK HERE