Steak with Rosemary Madeira Pan Sauce

This is a quick but very flavorful dinner that is perfect for mid-week when you need something substantial.  The weather is oscillating between cold and damp and warm and sunny in D.C., and last night was a cold night perfect for steak and potatoes. 

Ingredients:
- Your favorite cut of steak, I used New York Strip
- Seasoning, I love the McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak
- Madeira wine
- Fresh rosemary, about 1t minced
- Chicken stock (can use beef or vegetable too)

You should take your steaks out of the fridge well before you're ready to start cooking dinner so that they can come to room temperature.  Once the chill is off of them, pat them dry and then season liberally and pat into the meat.  Depending on the thickness of your steak, adjust your seasoning.  For steaks over an inch thick, I put as much seasoning on each side of the steak as will stay on it, basically coating the meat.  Remember this seasoning has to flavor entire thickness of the meat.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Heat about 1/2T butter in a frying pan over medium high heat.  When the butter is melted, add the steak.  Cook about 5 mintues on each side.  Transfer to an oven-safe pan or plate and put into the oven.  Depending on the thickness of your steaks, you could choose to decrees the temperature of your oven.  For thin steaks, you could go as low as 200 degrees, just to keep your steak hot.

Deglaze your frying pan with about 1/2 cup madeira wine.  When this has reduced by about half, add about 1/2 cup stock and rosemary.  Cook at a simmer until this is reduced by at least half, and is a sauce consistency.

Remove your steak from the oven and pour any juices into the sauce.  Slice the steak on an angle.

I ran my sauce through a screen directly onto the sliced steak.  Enjoy!

I served the steak with roasted garlic mashed potatoes.  This is a great use of roasted garlic and can be made ahead of time before you start the steak. 

Ingredients:
- Red potatoes (I made about 2lbs, but we go through a lot of potatoes)
- Roasted garlic, about 1T
- 2-3T butter
- Salt and Pepper

Clean and quarter the potatoes.  I leave the skins on, I think it adds texture and flavor.  Submerge in cold water in a stock pot.  Heat over medium high heat to a boil, then reduce heat and keep at a low boil until potatoes are cooked, about 15 minutes.

Drain water out of the pot.  Coarsely mash the potatoes.  Mash in the butter and roasted garlic.  When the steak is done, transfer the potatoes to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with the steak.