Grilled Sirloin Steaks with Bearnaise Butter

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Summer with its warm, lingering days is the season made for easy entertaining. Cooks everywhere move their kitchens outdoors and turn down the stress with simple grilled entrees. Throw a few steaks on the barbecue, boil some corn, and toss a salad -- that's the M.O. of many. Over the years I've learned to add a few embellishments to this winning formula that make such menus even more special.

A good example is Grilled Sirloins with Bearnaise Butter. Thick, boneless steaks, seasoned simply with coarse salt and pepper, are grilled until lightly charred and rosy pink within, but what really makes them stand out is the garnish of mouthwatering Bearnaise butter. The butter is a riff on classic Bearnaise sauce. For the latter, a cooked reduction of white wine vinegar, minced shallots and tarragon is combined with egg yolks, then cooked gently while melted butter is slowly incorporated. In this much easier version, the seasoned vinegar reduction needs only to be stirred into some softened butter. Unlike the sauce, which is a last-minute operation, Bearnaise butter can be conveniently prepared a day ahead.

The following recipe serves four, but can be doubled or tripled without problems. In place of corn on the cob and a green salad, you could serve sliced tomatoes sprinkled with fresh herbs and some grilled asparagus, both of which would be just as effortless and tempting.

Grilled Sirloins with Bearnaise Butter

Serves 4.

Bearnaise Butter:

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

5 teaspoons chopped tarragon, divided

5 teaspoons chopped flat leaf parsley, divided

7 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Sirloins

2 (1-pound) boneless sirloins, 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for oiling grill rack

For Bearnaise Butter, put the shallots, vinegar, half of the tarragon and half of the parsley in a small saucepan set over medium high heat. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until vinegar has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the mixture into a small bowl, pressing down on the solids to release any liquid. Discard solids and cool mixture to room temperature.

Using a table fork, mix the butter, remaining tarragon and parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, several grinds of pepper, and lemon zest in a medium, nonreactive bowl. Gradually, a little at a time, mix in the cooled vinegar mixture. Continue to mix until vinegar has been almost completely absorbed into the butter. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. (Bearnaise Butter can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)

When ready to cook, pat steaks dry with paper towels, and then season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Grill steaks until charred outside and pink inside, 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare. (Internal temperature should be 145 F.) Halve each steak, crosswise, and mound each portion with a generous dollop of Bearnaise Butter.

 

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Grilled Sirloin Steaks with Bearnaise Butter

(c) 2010 Betty Rosbottom Recipes