See Also: Beef Dishes · Cooking Club · Meat Dishes
Beef Steak ala Aphrodite
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. Homer wrote of the Greek goddess Aphrodite: "Aphrodite overcomes all mortal men and immortal gods with desire." Let food be a part of that desire! This is equally delicious with any fish steak such as salmon or halibut, or pork cutlets.
1 - 2 tenderloin steaks, rib steaks, T-bone, etc. as desired
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
paprika
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (this has been recognized from Middle Ages to the present with the warning to handle with care as a little goes a long way)
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter, or a combination
1 onion (early century Roman recommendation: "If your wife is old and your member is exhausted, eat onions in plenty")
4-6 round radishes (Egyptians consumed incredible amounts of radishes in 500 BC to enhance sexual prowess)
1/4 cup white wine or sherry (Shakespeare said regarding wine: "It provokes the desire, but takes away the performance")
1-2 teaspoons honey (the honey in "honeymoon" means the fermented honey which newlyweds drank)
1/4 cup slivered almonds (also recognized for centuries as an aphrodisiac)
dried figs
fresh spinach leaves
extra virgin olive oil (Popeye and Olive Oyl always end up together)
Season each steak with salt, pepper, paprika and the snipped thyme. In a heavy bottomed saute pan, heat the olive oil or butter until sizzling. Add the steaks and cook 2-3 minutes on each side, or until done and nicely browned, but do not overcook. Quickly remove to a heated platter and set aside. In the juices in the pan, add the chopped onion and sliced radishes. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes, or until onions are limp. Add the wine or sherry and cook and stir, bringing up any of the browned bits from the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes to reduce the liquids, making a nice sauce. Blend in the honey, slivered almonds and dried figs. (You may need to slice them in half if they are large.) Arrange the spinach leaves on dinner plates and sprinkle with a bit of olive oil. Arrange the steaks over spinach and pour on the sauce. Serve!
Recipe created 2012-02-04.
