This past weekend, in Dallas, I went to the Cheesecake Factory. I can’t help it…we don’t have one in Arkansas and I have never had a bad meal there. I don’t know how they do it with such a large menu!
Anyway, I was trying to eat a little lighter, so I ordered a new dish called “Grilled Steak Medallions” from the skinnylicious menu. It is under 600 calories, which, for the Cheesecake Factory, is almost unheard of!
It is described as such:
Certified Angus Beef® Served with Fresh Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes, Mashed Potatoes and Madeira Wine Sauce
To my surprise, as well as the others’ at my table, this dish was delicous! The steak was delicious and perfectly cooked to medium rare, the vegetables were also cooked perfectly, and not overdone, in this deep, yet a little tangy, wine sauce. And the mashed potatoes served as the perfect base to soak up all the flavors. I ate the entire plate.
Now that I’m back home, you know I want it again. So, I tried my take on the dish (with a few personally preferred changes) and it turned out great! Here’s the recipe:
Watch this SHORT recipe video to see the process:
Ingredients
-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-3-4 steak medallions (Traditionally, these are beef tenderloin
medallions, but I believe the Cheesecake Factory used a cheaper
cut. I also am cheap, so I just cut up a sirloin into medallions.
Works like a charm!)
-3 cups sliced mushrooms (The C.F. used shiitakes, which were
delish. Walmart didn’t have these, so I used baby portabellas.
These also proved to be delicious. I don’t think this affected the
flavor much, but portabellas are meatier and heartier.)
-1 cup halved grape tomatoes
-1 medium-large shallot, minced
-1 tablespoon minced garlic
-10 asparagus spears, chopped at an angle
-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
-1 bay leaf
-1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or one sprig of fresh thyme
-salt and pepper to taste (at least 1/4 teaspoon of each)
-2 tablespoons flour
-1/2 cup red wine (Clearly, the C.F. used madeira wine. I, again, am
cheap, and just used a tasty red wine that was not too sweet.
Use what you like, and you will like the sauce.)
-1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
Directions
1. Heavily salt and pepper both sides of your steak. Set aside.
2. Prep your veggies (chop, mince, etc)
3. Heat a pan on medium-high heat, until very hot. Add olive oil.
Once it is shimmering and lightly smoking, add steak. Do not touch
for 4 minutes.
4. Turn steaks over after 4 minutes. Do not touch another 2-3
minutes. 2 minutes gave me a perfectly medium-rare steak.
5. Remove steaks on to plate and lightly cover with foil. Set aside.
6. In the same pan, add 3 tablespoons butter.
*You will keep this on medium-high heat continuously.
7. Once melted, add mushrooms in single layer. Top with shallots,
then top with asparagus. Do not touch for 2-3 minutes, or until
mushrooms are browning.
8. You may then stir occasionally, making sure all mushrooms are
well-browned on both sides. After about 2 minutes of this, add
garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes, or until it is very aromatic.
9. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir until flour is cooked, 1-2 min.
10. Add 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup beef broth. Stir and scrape
bits off the bottom. Continue for 3 minutes.
11. After 3 minutes, add the halved tomatoes. Stir occasionally
while cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
*12* Have a starch ready. The C.F. used mashed potatoes. I used
mashed parsnips, which gave a nice sweetness. Polenta would
also work well.
Plating
1. Lay down your starch as your base.
2. Top with steak.
3. Cover steak with veggies and sauce completely.
EAT IT UP!
If you try this recipe, please comment and let me know how it went!
.
Amy’s Version of Grilled Steak Medallions from The Cheesecake Factory
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 steak medallions Beef tenderloin is ideal, but I just cut up a sirloin into medallions, and that worked like a charm!
- 3 cups sliced mushrooms Shiitakes or baby portabellas work best
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 medium-large shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced or 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 10 asparagus spears, chopped at an angle
- 3 tbps unsalted butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme, or one sprig of fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
- salt and pepper, to taste about 1/4 teaspoon each
Instructions
- Heavily salt and pepper both sides of your steak. Set aside.
- Prep your veggies (chop, mince, etc)
- Heat a pan on medium-high heat, until very hot. Add olive oil.Once it is shimmering and lightly smoking, add steak. Do not touchfor 4 minutes.
- Turn steaks over after 4 minutes. Do not touch another 2-3minutes. 2 minutes gave me a perfectly medium-rare steak.
- Remove steaks on to plate and lightly cover with foil. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add 3 tablespoons butter.*You will keep this on medium-high heat continuously.
- Once melted, add mushrooms in single layer. Top with shallots,then top with asparagus. Do not touch for 2-3 minutes, or untilmushrooms are browning.
- You may then stir occasionally, making sure all mushrooms arewell-browned on both sides. After about 2 minutes of this, addgarlic and stir for 1-2 minutes, or until it is very aromatic.
- Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir until flour is cooked, 1-2 min.
- Add 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup beef broth. Stir and scrapebits off the bottom. Continue for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, add the halved tomatoes. Stir occasionally while cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Have a starch ready. The C.F. used mashed potatoes. I usedmashed parsnips, which gave a nice sweetness. Polenta wouldalso work well.
- Plating: 1. Lay down your starch as your base.2. Top with steak.3. Cover steak with veggies and sauce completely. EAT IT UP!
