Pan-Seared Top Sirloin Steak with Jus

Steaks are great for a romantic dinner or for a grill party with friends. During winter, spending time outdoors grilling a steak in your backyard can be a bit overwhelming. One of the best alternatives is to pan-grill the steak. I found an excellent recipe on video.about.com by Chef John and tried it out on Valentine's day as a surprise to my husband. I should say that it turned out real nice for my first attempt at preparing a steak. To watch the original video, click here. I hope everybody will try this out... Have a sizzzzling dinner!!

Pan-seared top sirloin steak (Serves 2)

Top-sirloin steak - 8oz - 2
Clarified butter - 1-2 tbsp
Seasoning - Black pepper and salt

Method:

Heat a heavy pan on high heat till its very hot.

Prepare the steaks on a seperate plate by seasoning them with salt and pepper.

Add clarified butter to the hot pan.

Place the steaks into the pan. Bring the down the heat to medium high. Do not move the steaks for about 4 min.

Turn the steaks over and again leave the steaks for about 5 min on the second side.

Keep the steaks for about a minute or two before serving so that the juices within the steaks get time to settle.

Serve the steaks topped with jus, sauteed onions and mushrooms, with mashed potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables as sides.

For the pan jus (juice):

Water - 1/2 cup
Worcestershire sauce - 1 tbsp
Balsamic vinegar - 1 tbsp
Ketchup - 1 tbsp

Method:

Mix the ingredients together and set aside.

Once the steaks are cooked, add the sauce to the pan over high heat.

Scrape the bottom of the pan so that the caramalised meat on the pan is released into the sauce.

Reduce to half over high heat.

Shut off the flame and add the natural juices released from the resting steaks.

Whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter.

The jus is ready to be served with the steaks.

Tips:

1. To clarify butter, microwave 2 tbsp of butter until melted and remove the foam on top of it. The liquid underneath is the clarified butter.
2. The time of grilling depends on the size and thickness of the steaks.
3. The given timing makes a medium rare steak. Adjust time according to your preferred doneness. Other steak seasonings can also be used.