This is a dish that I came up with in my early years of motherhood. I was always playing around in the kitchen with different ingredients and flavors. Using everything I learned from my mother and grandmother, who helped me with having a grasp the importance of technique when your learning to cook. Having learned those basic methods, helped me to come into my own style of cooking.

This #recipe for my Steak Italiano With Roasted Potatoes combines culinary influences from both sides of my family. This recipe is so easy, flavorful, and really doesn’t take very long to make. Let me tell you how I did it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yields: 2 servings
Equipment: 1 (12-inch) cast-iron skillet, 1 rimmed baking sheet pan, 1 (10-cup) food processor, chef’s knife

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of canola oil (2 tablespoons for the Sofrito)
1 onion cut into chunks
2 large leafy-top carrots, 1-inch chunks
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of Italian flat-leaf parsley
3/4 of a cup of chicken stock, unsalted

IngredientsFor Steaks:
2 tablespoons of Canola oil
3 (5-ounce) Top Sirloin fillets
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder

Ingredients For Potatoes:
1 (2 1/2 pound) bag of small-size multi-colored Yukon potatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450-degrees F.
First, start with the *sofrito for the steaks. In a food processor add diced onion, whole garlic, carrots, a can of diced tomatoes, Italian flat-leaf parsley, fresh oregano leaves, Kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Pulse the ingredients, for the Sofrito, until it’s the consistency of a Cantina style salsa. Pour the sauce into a bowl and set it aside.

Place the halved potatoes on a rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, Kosher salt, and black pepper. With your hands toss the potatoes so they’re all coated with the oil and seasonings. Roast the potatoes for 35 to 40 minutes until golden on the outside, and fork-tender on the inside. After they come out of the oven, sprinkle fresh chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley. Now while the potatoes are roasting in the oven start on the steaks.

Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Tip: Turn the overhead fan on.

Drizzle the steaks on both sides with Canola oil. Season both sides with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Using a pair of tongs, place the steaks into the skillet. You’ll hear that sound when something hits a very hot skillet, and that’s what you want to hear.

You just want to sear the steaks on both sides to get a nice crust. This process only takes 2 to 3 minutes per side. When you see that deep brown color on both sides, turn the heat off, transfer to a plate. Set aside.

In the same skillet, over medium heat, add Canola oil, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, and tomato paste. Stir those around allowing those to bloom in the oil for a minute. This technique will bring out the essential oil in the herb and melt the tomato paste intensifying the flavors.

Next, add in chicken broth, using the back of a wooden spoon scrape, all the bits from the steak off the bottom of the skillet. Add the Sofrito, letting it come to a bubble up then reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally, cook the sauce, giving all the ingredients a chance to soften and all the flavors to marry, around 5 to 7 minutes.

Using a pair of tongs, nestle the steaks in the sauce. Let simmer on medium-low heat turning the steaks every few minutes. For medium-rare, this takes around 15 to 20 minutes. If you like your steaks more done then leave them simmering in the sauce for maybe 30 to 35 minutes.

By the time the steaks are done, the potatoes will be just about ready to come out of the oven. This technique of braising of the steaks in the sauce keeps the steaks tender and moist. That’s all there is to it. I think that once you try having steak this way, you’ll definitely want to make this dish again.

To serve, slice the steak and place it onto the serving plate. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of the steak. A helping of those delicious roasted potatoes, and a piece of crusty Italian bread for dipping. Garnish with finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley. There you have it, my Steak Italiano With Roasted Potatoes.

Sofrito: Sofrito is a sauce used as a base in Latin American, Spanish, Italian, and P Portuguese cooking. Preparations may vary, but it typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sautéed or braised in cooking oil.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/