Sometimes, I just want a plain salt and pepper seasoned steak, but sometimes, I’m feeling saucy. This Classic steak Diane recipe dresses up tender steak in a bed of creamy mushrooms, shallots, a rich beef demi-glace, and cognac sauce. This sauce is so rich and flavorful I could see myself eating it with other proteins or even vegetables.
What was traditionally prepared tableside and flambéed at fancy dining tables can be easily made at home (sans fire risk), and it’ll only take you half an hour!
What is steak Diane?
Steak Diane is a popular dish created in the 20th century; however, there is ongoing debate about whether it originates from restaurants in London or Rio de Janeiro. Regardless, it became a popular dish often prepared tableside and flambéed.
Steak Diane is made up of seared beefsteak (which may be pounded to ½” thick) and a sauce made from the seasonings in the pan with veal (or beef) demi-glace, heavy cream, cognac, shallots, and mushrooms.
Why do they call it steak Diane?
The namesake of steak Diane is presumed to be Diana, the Roman Goddess of the Hunt and wild animals. The connection is the use of venison and veal in the original recipes. The sauce in Steak Diane was initially meant for grilled venison, and the condiments’ richness balanced the meat’s gameness.
Cuts of steak to use for steak Diane
When making Steak Diane, I like to go for cuts that are not too tough to start. Avoid cuts like flank, or skirt unless you’re familiar with how to cook these and keep them tender. Traditionally, the recipe calls for tenderloin cut into rounds and flattened thin for fast and easy searing tableside.
Here are cuts I recommend for steak Diane:
- Tenderloin
- Strip
- Ribeye
- Ribeye cap
However, you can pick your favorite cuts of meat. I like ribeye for the flavor, but you must trim some excess fat on the edges so it cooks properly. Fat takes much longer to cook than the meat does, so when the meat is pounded (or even when not pounded), the thick fatty parts remain chewier when the meat hits proper doneness. I would avoid using tough cuts like chuck because it might be too chewy.
What’s in steak Diane sauce?
This Steak Diane recipe has a rich and flavorful sauce made from:
- pan drippings/fond from searing steak
- sauteed shallots
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Demi-glace (we use store-bought in this recipe)
- heavy cream
- Cognac
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
I used a store-bought demi-glace beef stock for this recipe to make life easier. Typically, this stock can take many hours to prepare, but you can easily find it pre-made in jars at stores like Williams Sonoma or a grocery store. This stuff is pricey but definitely worth the headache of not having to prep another ingredient.
What is the difference between steak Diane and steak au poivre?
While Steak Diane and steak au poivre might look similar in that they are paired with a creamy sauce, that’s where the similarities end. The main difference between Steak Diane and steak au poivre is the preparation of the steak.
Steak Diane has a flattened steak lightly seasoned with salt, whereas steak au poivre is coated in cracked peppercorns to form a savory and spicy crust.
Steak Diane
Ingredients
- 16 oz steak flattened to ¼-inch thickness
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ c chopped shallot
- 1 c sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ c cognac
- 1 tbsp beef demi-glace
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 6 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- black pepper
- parsley optional topping
Equipment Used
- one-gallon Ziplock bag
- meat tenderizer or rolling pin, or something heavy to flatten meat
- sheet pan with rack
- cast-iron steak
- steak
- wooden spoon
- tongs
- knife and cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
Instructions
- For ribeye, trim excess fat from the edges and cut the steak into 3 even portions.
- Flatten the steak by putting the steak in a one-gallon ziplock bag. Use a meat tenderizer or something heavy like a rolling pin to flatten the meat to ¼ thickness.
- Season steaks with salt and pepper. Let the steak season on the counter while you prep the other ingredients, about 5-10 minutes.
- Sear steaks with olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. I like to add ½ the butter towards the last ⅓ of the cooking time so the butter doesn’t burn.
- When the steaks measure 130 °F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer them onto a plate and set aside.
- In the same cast iron pan, add the remaining ½ of butter and saute shallots until they’re softened but not brown because it will continue to cook with other ingredients, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened and not too shrunken. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Deglaze with cognac and let the alcohol burn off by cooking it down for 30 seconds.
- Add mustard, heavy cream, demi-glace, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until incorporated.
- Season with salt and black pepper based on your preference. Taste and adjust with seasoning if necessary.
- Add the steak back into the pan to serve there, or plate the steak and cover in sauce to serve.
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