183. STRIP STEAKS with BACON LATTICE and SUN-DRIED TOMATO BUTTER

makes 6 hearty servings


Sun-Dried Tomato Butter
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
7 whole sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Steaks
6 strip steaks, 12-14 oz. each and 1-inch thick
1/3 lb. sliced bacon
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper

Up to 1 week in advance of serving, prepare the sun-dried tomato butter: Process the butter and mustard in a food processor until smooth. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and Parmesan. Pulse the machine on and off until the ingredients are just incorporated. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap out on a flat surface. Shape the butter into a 1-inch-thick log down the center of the wrap. Roll the plastic around the butter to enclose it completely and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare the fireplace or grill for cooking.

To make the bacon lattice on the steaks, cut 3 deep diagonal slashes lengthwise and 2 slashes crosswise on the top of each steak with a sharp knife. Take care not to cut all the way through to the other side of the steaks. Cut the bacon into thin strips and insert them into the slashes to form a lattice. Mix together the dry mustard, salt, and pepper, and rub this mixture over both sides of the steaks.

Grill the steaks 3 to 4 inches above the hot coals, starting with the bacon side up and turning once, 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare meat. As the steaks come off the grill, top each one with a 1-inch-thick slice of the tomato butter. Serve at once.


courtesy of: Cold-Weather Cooking, by Sarah Leah Chase. New York: Workman Publishing, 1990, pp. 299-300.