When it comes to good steak, there is no such thing as too much. I can’t help it, I love the stuff. I was raised on it, and I mean that literally. I spent the first 7 years of my life on a beef cattle farm in Ontario, where my parents, both city kids by birth, raised cows and showed horses. When asked as a young child what my favourite food was, my answer was inevitably steak. I asked for steak every year for my birthday dinner, and although I was a tiny child and a very picky eater, I could pack back a 12 ounce, medium-rare steak in a matter of minutes. I still can. It’s one of my rare hidden talents.
It wasn’t until later in life that I marveled that my parents were adventurous enough as newlyweds to purchase a farm and set about learning how to run one. The cattle part was probably fairly straightforward…feed them enough grass and hay, pasture them during the day, and make sure they were warm at night and during the long Canadian winters. But the showing horses part always makes me shake my head with wonder. I am sure they had ridden horses when they were younger, but they not only raised and rode the horses on the farm, they actually trained them and entered them in horse shows all over Ontario and parts of the US. And got very proficient at it, my father at one time being the Barrel-Racing champ of his Paint Horse Association. My summers were spent running in packs with other kids on the dusty grounds of horse shows, watching races and generally wreaking havoc. The freedom we had back then was astonishing.
And then we moved into the city and I became a city kid through and through. I still am a city kid, and I can’t for the life of me imagine taking on the responsibility of running a farm and raising cows and horses. Nor would I want to. But I admire my parents greatly for their sense of adventure in doing so. It sometimes makes me see them in a different light, to imagine them as young 20-somethings, tackling a lifestyle so different from the one they grew up with. Amazing, truly.
And if I have one lasting legacy from my days on the farm, it is my love of steak. This recipe is a delicious way to serve leftover steak…if you have any. If I was in your family, there would never be any leftovers. Although I might be able to make an exception for this. I adore steak salad, and top it with a browned butter sauce with mushrooms and sage? Heavenly.
- 12 oz steak we like boneless rib eye
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 oz baby bella mushrooms
- 6 tbsp butter
- 12 fresh sage leaves chopped
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- additional salt and pepper if desired
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Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper, and grill or broil to desired doneness (medium or medium-rare).
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Slice steak thinly across the grain.
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In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and cook until it is just beginning to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add mushrooms and sage, and saute until fragrant and sage is crispy, 4 minutes more.
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Divide spinach between 2 large plates and arrange sliced steak over top.
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Pour mushroom sauce over each and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.
Serves 2. Each serving has 7 g of carbs and 3 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 4 g.
