Scallion stew

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg beef (flank steak, cut into 4 steaks), room temperature
• 1 tbsp sea salt, coarse
• Pepper, freshly ground
• Olive oil, for rubbing in
• 5 tbsp butter
• 500 g shallot(s), thinly sliced
• 200 ml red wine, dry
• 400 ml beef stock

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

(Steak with shallots) Flank steak, crown meat, kidney cap, skirt meat, Lombatello

Pat the steaks dry and remove any coarse fat. Season with salt and pepper, and rub with a little olive oil. Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat until very hot. Add the steaks and sear for 1 minute on one side until browned and lightly crusted. Turn them over and sear for another 1 minute. Reduce the heat slightly and sear the steaks for another 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness. To check, press the meat firmly with your fingers: the softer it feels, the rawer it is inside. Cover the finished steaks with aluminum foil. Reduce the heat slightly, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan, and sauté the shallots for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Deglaze with the wine and simmer over high heat, stirring, until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Pour in the beef stock and simmer for 10 minutes until reduced to a sauce. The shallots should be soft. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining butter. Arrange the steaks on plates with their juices. Sprinkle the shallots and sauce over them and serve immediately. The French bevette, also known as flank steak, is the classic cut of meat for steak frites in Parisian bistros. It’s relatively inexpensive and offers an intensely meaty flavor, but it must be cooked medium-rare or rare, otherwise it tends to become tough. Pan-cooking produces good results. Remember that the correct timing depends not on the weight of the steak, but on its thickness.