Seared Steak w/ Savory Sauté & Creamed Spinach

Protein-packed bomb deliciousness! And the "creamed" spinach is dairy-free ;)

Ingredients

• Steak of your choice
• Worchestire sauce
• Soy sauce
• Meat tenderizer powder
• 1 pat of butter + a drizzle of both Canola and olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 1 tbsp Vegemite
• Cracked black pepper
• 350g frozen spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (8oz) of soy cream
• 1/4 stick butter
• 125g grated parmesan (not the Kraft pre-grated stuff - do it yourself!)
• Salt
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Blue cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Place the steak in a plastic zip-top bag with the Worchestire and soy sauces and sprinkle in some of the meat tenderizer. Seal the bag and mix thoroughly, giving the meat a very good Swedish deep tissue massage. Place in the coldest part of your fridge (if you are like me and like your meat proper rare with a good sear, move it to the freezer ~4-5 mins before you are ready to cook it).
2. Get a nice big sauté pan ready over medium heat with the butter/oil mix (the butter and olive oil give flavor, while the canola will allow you to crank up the heat without burning the butter and olive oil later on). Add 3/4 of the onion and let them begin to caramelize over med/low heat. Once they are sweated and soft add the mushrooms and carrots.
3. Once the carrots are soft, crank up the heat to high and sear them till they get a bit browned on the edges, being careful to toss frequently so as not to burn the onions. Add the Vegemite towards the end, tossing till it is melted and distributed through evenly. Add the cracked black pepper, then turn off the heat, cover, and let the mix coast to a finish.
4. On a separate burner in a medium saucepan add the 1/4 stick of butter and melt it down. Then add in the garlic and remaining onion and let this sweat down - but do NOT let it brown.
5. Once the onion is soft, add the spinach and let it melt and give off most of its water.
6. Add the soy cream, salt, some black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg and let the mixture simmer for 3-4 minutes.
7. Add in the parmesan and incorporate till melted through.
8. Let this mixture simmer on low while you prep the steak.
9. Obviously a grill would be best, but a cast iron pan substitutes nicely if you don't have one (like me). Take your steak out of the chill chest and heat your pan (or grill) till it is pretty rip roaring hot. If you are using the cast iron pan, I like to spread some canola oil over the meat after I pull it out of the bag to make sure the heat gets distributed fast and evenly.
10. Depending on how you like your steak, sear it for 3 minutes per side (no more, no less! Don't move it, don't look at it, and use a timer) if you like medium rare like me. (If you are using a pan, don't cover the pan. If you are using a grill, you can close the top).
11. Set the steak aside, cover with aluminum foil, and don't even think touching it for 3-4 minutes. Slice on a bias, against the grain of the meat.
12. Make a bed of the onion/mushroom/carrot mixture and then lay your steak across it. Pour some of the delicious jus that will have accumulated from your resting and cutting over the top.
13. Add a side of the creamed spinach
14. Garnish with blue cheese, if you like it as much as I do.
15. Bon ap!

Creamed spinach w/ parmesan.

Dinner is served, bitches.