Pan Seared Steak with Sherry Thyme Sauce

To jazz up any steak dinner you can make some easy pan sauces. This Sherry Thyme Sauce was easy to execute and I could have left it more loose. Instead I used a thickener to "beef" it up as well as the flavor from the porcini mushrooms. Use any kind of steak that is affordable on your budget. You will use two skillets and one baking sheet.

This is the photograph that depicts the onions, thyme and sherry reducing down and the photograph below is at the end when I chose to thicken the sauce. The complete recipe is below.

• 1/2 cup onion - small dice
• 1 10 oz. package porcini mushrooms - stems removed and sliced
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 8 oz. beef broth
• 4 tbsp. butter
• salt and black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Sear your seasoned steak over high heat in a cast iron or any other skillet. Sear for a couple of minutes or so on each side to get a nice crust on the steak. For a one inch steak figure 3-4 minutes.
3. Put the steak on a baking sheet and pop in the oven until the steak is cooked to your liking. For medium rare to medium my steak took about 8-9 minutes with me turning it over once in the oven.
4. In a separate skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Add in the sliced mushrooms and saute until light brown.
5. To the skillet you seared the meat add in two tablespoons of butter and melt over medium high heat. Add in the diced onions and cook for 2 minutes or so until they are translucent and they may even brown a touch on the edges.
6. Add in the sherry and the fresh thyme. Boil until the sherry is reduced by two thirds.
7. Add in the beef broth and keep boiling and stirring the thyme stems around. Add in the cooked mushrooms.
8. If you want a thicker sauce make a slurry of one tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of water mixed well. Add a little to the boiling sauce, whisking and adding the thickener until you reach the desired consistency.