This post is in partnership with Sam's Club. The content and opinions are my own.
Holiday brunches call for a bit of decadence, so I decided to take a stab at a classic steakhouse dish for this post. A steak served "oscar style" is topped with crab, Barnaise sauce, and asparagus. It's a luxurious surf and turf combination, but easier than it looks to pull off at home. Luckily,Sam's Clubwas a great way to save on the most important ingredients - filet mignon and lump crab. Sam's Club offers USDA Prime Beef, selected from the top ten percent of all beef. The marbling, tenderness, and flavor make for an amazing value at a low price. In the past, filet mignon has not been one of the first cuts I reach for because it is so lean. But these steaks were marbled so well, that combined with the luscious Bearnaise sauce, it was a real treat.
Even though this is a classic dish, there are ways to take advantage of more modern technology in the kitchen to prepare it. I opted to cook the filet mignon using my sous vide machine, which produces a perfectly rare or medium-rare interior without any guesswork. The time the steaks cook in the sous vide bath also allows you to better focus on prepping the other components. (If you're new to sous vide cooking, check out my guide first. If you don't have sous vide equipment, you can sear the steaks in a heavy skillet and finish roasting in the oven.) For the Barnaise sauce, I used an immersion blender, similar to how I'd make mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce. It takes just a minute and is much less fickle than whisking clarified butter and egg yolks by hand. This part of the dish was adapted from Serious Eats, which I've found to be a solid recipe.
Multi-tasking is required to pull this off, or you could work with a partner to split up the tasks. For timing purposes, you'll want the crabmeat prepped and asparagus roasted when the steaks are seared and ready to plate. The blended sauce should be the last thing you prepare, but follow the instructions to reduce the tarragon infused liquid ahead of time, which takes about 15 minutes. Read on for the full recipe, below.
Sous Vide Steak Oscar
Ingredients:
4 beef filet steaks, at least 1" thick and around 8 oz each
2 tsp Kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning to taste
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
Cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
16 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
16 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed
Olive oil, as needed
Olive oil, as needed
1 lemon
For the Barnaise Sauce:
For the Barnaise Sauce:
1 shallot, diced
1 tbsp + 1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 egg yolks
12 tbsp unsalted butter
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Special Equipment: You'll need a sous vide circulator fitted in alarge pot
or container, a largeheavy skillet, a small skilletor saucepan, fine mesh strainer,heavy duty sheet pan
, immersion blender, and afine grater
.
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Special Equipment: You'll need a sous vide circulator fitted in alarge pot
or container, a largeheavy skillet, a small skilletor saucepan, fine mesh strainer,heavy duty sheet pan, immersion blender, and afine grater.Step 1: Sous vide steaks.
To get started, turn on your sous vide circulator per manufacturer's instructions, setting the water temperature for your preferred steak finish. For filet mignon, I recommend around 125F for rare, up to no more than 134 for the upper range of medium-rare.
Season each steak with a 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt. This can be done a day ahead of time for the best flavor, or immediately before cooking.
Transfer steaks to a freezer-safe zip bag or vacuum-sealed bag. Wait for the water to reach the desired temperature setting before placing the steaks in the water. If using a plastic zip bag, leave it partially unsealed. Holding the unsealed end of the bag above water, submerge the rest of the bag underwater to push air out before sealing completely.
Cook the steaks for at least one hour, or up to four hours total.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss the crabmeat with butter, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Arrange the trimmed asparagus on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven at 450F for approximately 5 to 8 minutes, or until bright green and crisp-tender. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
After the steaks are cooked, dust them with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and lots of cracked pepper.
Preheat your heavy skillet over medium-high to high heat, until just shy of smoking. Coat the skillet lightly with cooking oil and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Sear the steaks for a minute on each side, basting with butter, just until the surface of the steak is browned.
Remove the steaks from the skillet and transfer to plates.
Step 2: Prepare the crabmeat.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss the crabmeat with butter, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Step 3: Roast the asparagus.
Arrange the trimmed asparagus on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven at 450F for approximately 5 to 8 minutes, or until bright green and crisp-tender. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Step 4: Prepare the Barnaise sauce.
Note: Barnaise sauce can't be easily reheated, so it's best to prepare it once everything else is close to being done. You can reduce the liquid in the first step below and hold it until you're ready to blend the sauce, if desired.
In a small skillet, combine the shallots, 1 tablespoon of chopped tarragon, white wine, vinegar, and peppercorns. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to 1 1/2 tablespoons.
In a small skillet, combine the shallots, 1 tablespoon of chopped tarragon, white wine, vinegar, and peppercorns. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to 1 1/2 tablespoons.
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a container that can fit your immersion blender. Press the solids to squeeze all liquid out. To the strained liquid, add the egg yolks and a pinch of salt. In a separate container, melt 12 tablespoons of butter.
Fit your immersion blender into the container with the egg yolks, and turn it on to begin blending. Slowly pour in the melted butter until it's all added. The sauce should be thick and creamy. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and stir in the remaining teaspoon of chopped tarragon.
Per the original recipe, the sauce should be served immediately, or transferred to a small lidded pot in a warm place for up to an hour. I found that it cooled much quicker than this, so it's best not to blend the sauce until you are ready to serve.
Step 5: Plate and serve.
Ready to bring it all together? Place one steak on each plate, and top with 4 ounces of crab. Arrange the asparagus spears on top of the steak or on the side.
Spoon a generous amount of Barnaise sauce over each plate so that it coats the crab and spills over onto the asparagus.
Dig in and enjoy that perfectly cooked filet mignon!To learn more about USDA Prime Beef at Sams Club, visit their website.
