Valentine’s Sugar Steak

Valentine’s Day is THIS week!!  Excitement! Oh, the thrill!  The anticipation!  Who can wait??!!  I can, really, I’ve given up on the prerequisite flowers, and surely don’t need the box of chocolates, and if Big Daddy sends me one of those really stupid, incredibly large teddy bears, he’s in a lot of trouble.  Not to say that I’m not a romantic, I really am, I’m just more of a realist. I want a great meal with just him, not a lot of folks around, maybe a great drink like an Old Fashioned or some champagne, and just the pleasure of his company.

I’m making a Valentine’s meal for Big Daddy, a meal I made when we first started dating.  It’s very rich, very filling, and something reserved for just such special occasions as Valentine’s Day, because you just can’t have it that often!  My grandmother had a very unique way of pan sautéing steaks in a heavy skillet with lots of seasoning and some butter and sugar that turned those steaks into mouth watering, tender, rare works of art.  You think you’re going to just burn up those precious cuts of beef, but with a little practice, you too can turn out a once a year masterpiece called Sugar Steaks!!  Patience, it takes a lot of patience, and a great cast iron skillet, and a wonderful pair of tongs.

My grandmother saved the “drippings” to make the most fabulous au jus, just a little water into the skillet after the steaks were taken out to rest. The seasonings just bubbled up and burst into aromatic gravy fit for a king, or queen, or a pair of sweethearts.  I always found some crusty bread to sop up the goodness, now I settle for some Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, boiled, and gently mashed with some parmesan cheese and freshly chopped curly leaf parsley.

I’m getting really hungry, ready to indulge in the sweet stoutness of an Old Fashioned, crisp, just the right touch of citrus, and the heady smell of the bitters.  Bitters make all the difference in an Old Fashioned, the slightly licorice taste of Peychaud’s Bitters from New Orleans, or the deep rich Angostura.  Use, what you will, indulge sparingly, and most of all, enjoy: enjoy Valentine’s Day, enjoy each other!

Recipes:
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Cucumber Bites
Old Fashioned
Parmesan Parsley Mashed Potatoes
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Sugar Steaks