This Classic Steak Dish Is A Family Favorite Of Alex Guarnaschelli
When it comes to classic steak dishes, there are dozens to choose from, such as cube steak with gravy and country-fried steak. Celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli, at the Bellagio Fountain Club, where guests can enjoy the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix and Michelin-starred cuisine in one place, told Daily Meal that her go-to family favorite is steak Diane.
If you're wondering what exactly steak Diane is, it's basically steak basted and fried in a pan with butter and topped with a sauce made from the leftover steak bits, flambéed cream, and brandy. It's one of the classic steak dishes that have vanished from restaurant menus, but it remains a favorite of chef Guarnaschelli. "My mom called it Steak 'Dee-on' because that's how you would pronounce it if it were in French. My mother used [a recipe that] comes from a Dione Lucas cookbook called the 'Gourmet Cooking School Cookbook,' and my mother made it obsessively," she reminisced.
Alex was surprised the first time her mother made the dish because, at the time, she didn't think of steak and cream sauce as a balanced pairing. She recalled, "I was like, 'Mom, steak and cream?'" But today, "I just love it. The acidity, the lusciousness, how all the ingredients collaborate instead of clashing."
The meat you choose is important for making steak Diane
Steak Diane is an old-school dish that was most popular in the 1950s and '60s, but there are a few variations in its preparation. While a classic steak Diane recipe calls for Cognac, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, some cooks like to work in substitutions. They may use a different type of brandy or even whiskey instead of Cognac, as well as a whole-grain mustard and a balsamic reduction rather than the usual Dijon and Worcestershire. And, Modern adaptations incorporate bok choy, coconut yogurt, miso, sesame oil, and tequila.
No matter the variations for Diane sauce, for Alex Guarnaschelli, there's no compromise on the meat. She offers some important advice for choosing the best cut for steak Diane, "You want ideally a prime non-aged steak. So the highest quality, tender, good marble." Although filet mignon is the obvious and traditional option because it's the most tender cut of steak you can buy, you could use New York strip or sirloin if you need more budget-friendly cuts of beef.
The celebrity chef also warned that "you don't want that beautiful, delicious, wet carpet taste. You don't want that here. If you're going dry-aged with that funky feet flavor, you want a different kind of sauce altogether, maybe just a squeeze of lemon." It's certainly a classic and for good reason.