Bistecca with Balsamic-Roasted Onion Crostini
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large porterhouse steak, about 1 1/2 pounds and 2-inches thick, at room temperature
- Salt, preferably gray salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large red onions
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- Crostini, recipe follows
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until very hot.
- Season the steak with salt and pepper.
- Turn on the exhaust fan and put the steak in the pan; stand back to prevent being splattered.
- Cook until the steak is brown on the first side, about 2 minutes; brown on the other side.
- Remove the steak to a rack or baking pan until you are ready to finish cooking it.
- When ready, put the steak into the oven and cook until done to your liking, about 10 minutes for rare.
- Remove the steak to a carving board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Peel and cut the onions into thirds or quarters, depending on their size.
- Leave as much root on as possible to keep the wedges from falling apart.
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in the same skillet used to cook the meat over medium-high heat until hot.
- Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Season them with salt and pepper.
- Place the pan of onions in the oven and roast until tender and very browned (the onions tend to char around the edges), 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the onions from the oven, add the garlic, and cook briefly until light brown.
- Add the thyme and stir.
- Add the vinegar (stand back so as to not get splattered) and toss well with the onions.
- Stir and scrape up all the browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pan.
- To serve, cut the meat off the bone, then carve it into thin slices.
- Put 1 slice of meat on each crostini and top with the roasted onions.
- Pour any juices from the carving board over the crostini.
- Serve immediately.
- Chef's Note: In order to cook the meat in the shortest amount of time and thus extract the most flavor, the meat must be at room temperature.
- Afterward, the meat must rest before carving.
- If this procedure is followed, the carving knife glides right through the steak.
- A 1 1/2 pound porterhouse should give you about 14 ounces of meat off the bone, enough for 3 or even 4 people.
- However, if you are steak lovers, you might want to buy 2 steaks of that size for 4 people.
- 1 loaf crusty bread, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake until the bread is golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 9 minutes.
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
extravirgin olive oil, porterhouse steak, salt, freshly ground black pepper, red onions, garlic, thyme, balsamic vinegar, crostini
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/bistecca-with-balsamic-roasted-onion-crostini-recipe.html (may not work)