The following post is from Shaina of Food for My Family and Olmanson Photography: Steak and Egg Pasta
I often end up with leftover steak. The thing is, we started buying a side of beef a few years ago. We split a whole cow with the neighbors, and we each take home an equal portion of the entire thing. It has saved us money on the price per pound of expensive cuts like steak, but it is also far cheaper than buying even conventional beef in the store. Cheaper grass-fed organic beef. Nothing to argue about.
We end up with leftover steak, however, because the cuts are packaged in the brown paper when they arrive from the butcher. They are loaded into the freezer by type, and then when we pull them out of the freezer, we often have these vexing issues: Do we need one package of steaks or two for six people?
It’s a simple issue, but the answer is that we usually need one and end up cooking two to be safe because we have four grown children, including a 13-year-old who eats more than I do. (I’d eat more if I swam 2 1/2 hours a day, too.) Enter: Leftover steak.
Now, we sometimes take our leftover steak and re-season it with fajita seasonings, add a few grilled peppers and onions, and have a fiesta. Other times we slice it thin, heat it up with caramelized onions, and top the whole thing off with a dose of cheese before adding it to a toasted bun. Then, there is the pasta.
Steak and eggs are traditional diner fare, but we’re serving it with a few sautéed greens over a creamy sauce and plenty of pasta. It’s breakfast for dinner, leftovers redone, and just plain good use of the food in the refrigerator at the end of the week.
Steak and Egg Pasta |
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 cups brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cognac
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lb cooked steak of choice, cut into pieces
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 lb spaghetti or fettuccine pasta, cooked
- fresh cracked black pepper
- minced parsley
- Place the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the shallot and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and cook, turning once after about 4 minutes, until the cut sides start to turn a golden brown. Remove the brussels sprouts from the pan.
- Deglaze the pan with the cognac. (At this point you can remove the pan from the heat, add a bit of flame to the alcohol and let it burn. It will flame, so be careful should you choose to do this.) Add in the cream and return the pan to a medium heat.
- When the cream sauce starts to thicken, add the steak in and turn the heat to low to warm the steak.
- Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Crack the four eggs into separate cups. Once the water is simmering, carefully pour each of the eggs into the water, at least 4″ apart. Turn off the heat and cover the pan for four minutes.
- While you are waiting for the eggs, toss the pasta and the brussels sprouts with the cream sauce and steak and plate on four plates. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and top each plate with one egg. Sprinkle with black pepper and fresh herbs.
Do you have any other ways to use leftover steak?
Shaina Olmanson is the freelance writer, photographer, and home cook behind Food for My Family. Cooking daily with and for her four kids and husband, Ole, drives her desire to inspire other families to do the same. Shaina is also the author of Desserts in Jars and regularly contributes to various online sites and traditional print magazines. | |