There’s something special about a fancy dinner at your favorite steakhouse for New Year’s Eve. But there’s also something perhaps even more special about enjoying a gourmet meal fixed in the comfort of your own home. I know, I know, I’ve been pushing the homebody card quite a lot lately, but I sure love a cozy night in this time of year…and that doesn’t change on NYE.
My husband and I have spent NYE at home the past couple of years; in fact, it’s become our tradition. We avoid the overpriced cover charges and event tickets, the impossible restaurant reservations and fixed menus, and instead we prepare a fancy, decadent dinner at home just like we like it. It’s the perfect excuse to bring out the festive dinnerware, too.
We’re in for a treat this year with our NYE dinner: bone-in ribeye cast iron skillet seared and cooked to perfection with homemade herb butter, fried brussels sprouts and caramelized onions. The brussels sprouts are perhaps the easiest side I’ve ever done; I threw them in a hot dutch oven with frying oil (I used vegetable oil, but you could use grapeseed too), I let them get that crispy charring with soft inside. Seriously SO simple…check out the recipe below.
For this meal, I’ll serve the Mr. his favorite beer. But because you’ll ask about wine pairings (and I love to talk wine, let’s be honest), here’s what I’d go with: a buttery chardonnay for a white wine, and a spicy malbec for a red. Because this is a pretty rich dinner (read: butter, butter, butter) I would stay away from a heavy, cabernet sauvignon or a fruit-forward acidic sauvignon blanc. Enjoy, friends and happy happy 2017! Truly, MKR
- 3 bone-in ribeye steaks
- 1 large head of garlic, cut in half
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh thyme, rosemary for garnish
- 5 tablespoons herb butter to cook, additional to garnish (recipe below)
- Olive or vegetable oil
- 5-6 Large yellow or white onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- pinch of Salt
- 4 sticks unsalted butter, brought to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons thyme, finely chopped
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
- 2-4 cups vegetable oil (or frying oil of your choice)
- 1 large bag brussels sprouts
- juice of 1 lemon
- table salt and pepper to taste
- Melt your butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onions to the pan and stir them gently to coat with butter. After 10 minutes add sugar, a pinch of salt and water, stir.
- Check the onions every 5-10 minutes. Stir them and and scrape up any fond that forms on the bottom of the skillet. Around 30 minutes, they start to get golden, and around 50 minutes they will be the most caramelized. You can continue to add a bit of water if the onions are becoming dry.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and place your cast iron skillet inside the oven. Bring your steak to room temperature.
- Season both sides of the steaks with olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Once heated, remove the skillet and cook your steaks in the skillet on the stovetop for 2 minutes each side on medium heat. While the steak is cooking add the full heads of garlic, thyme and rosemary in the skillet along with the herb butter. Lightly press down on the heads of garlic to release their aromatics.
- Return the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until reached desired temperature. Ribeye is best rare or medium rare and remember while the steak is tented and rested it will continue to cook approximately 5 degrees.
- Remove steaks from the oven and tent with aluminum foil, let it sit for 10 minutes after.
- Heat your cooking oil to high heat/frying point in a dutch oven or thick cast iron skillet (there has to be enough oil to cover the brussels sprouts).
- When the oil looks shiny and you hear the oil start to crackle and bubble, it's ready to fry. Drop your brussels sprouts in carefully.
- Stir occasionally and once they start to turn a brown color on the outside, use a skimmer or giant spatula to retrieve them from the pan.
- Place them on paper towels in a big dish to the side.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper and a little bit of lemon juice, to taste.
- Let your butter become room temperature.
- In a giant bowl, add the finely chopped thyme and rosemary to the butter.
- Combine with your fingers and ball it together.
- Use a piece of parchment paper and take the ball and roll it out the long way, like a paper towel cylinder then wrap with parchment paper and place it in the fridge overnight to harden.
- When ready to serve, cut into medallions.
