This week, we have our first 80 degree highs of the year. My yard is mowed, we pressure washed the outdoor furniture and the firepit is all cleaned up and begging to be used, so we are making dinner outside tonight…
With a cast iron skillet and a firepit, you can grill up a delicious dinner in the beautiful outdoors and that is exactly what we are about to do.
Let’s get started…
To make everything go as smoothly as possible, prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time, so as soon as your fire is ready to go, you are too!
Tonight, we will be grilling a strip steak and making a rich, hearty white bean ragout to pair with it. This dinner for two is rustic and delicious and can be fully cooked and enjoyed around the fire. How romantic is that?
Start by gathering 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms, 15 ounces of cannellini beans, 4 cloves of finely minced garlic, 1 large finely minced shallot, some olive oil and butter, fresh rosemary and thyme, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, black pepper and around 12 ounces of New York strip steak.
Once all of your ingredients are ready to go, get your fire nice and hot.
Of course you can make this entire recipe on your stove top and it will turn out just as good!
Generously season your New York strips with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and your favorite seasoned salt and as soon as your cast iron skillet is quite warm, add a few tablespoons of butter and a splash of olive oil and place your steaks down leaving some space in between them.
Once the underside of the steak is crisp and deeply golden brown, flip them and cook to your desired level of doneness. I always recommend medium rare for steak. A nice hard sear on the outside and a tender pink interior.
If you are a seasoned steak griller (pun intended) then you can do this by feel, but if you are unsure of how to tell when your steak is properly cooked, a meat thermometer is your new best friend. If you transfer your steaks onto a cutting board to rest when the reach 130 degrees internally, in 5-8 minutes you will have a perfectly cooked and rested medium rare steak.
Once your steaks are beautifully seared, transfer them onto a cutting board to rest while we cook our white bean ragout.
The great thing about this recipe is that the ragout takes the same time to cook as your steak needs to rest, so everything will be ready to enjoy at the same time.
Add a 15 ounce can of cannellini beans along with 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms, 4 cloves of finely minced garlic, a large finely minced shallot and a generous pinch of sea salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes into the skillet and give everything a good mix.
Simmer the white bean ragout for about 5 minutes to let everything warm up and thicken a bit. Add additional salt or black pepper, if necessary and then stir in 1/4 cup of grated parmesan and slide your skillet off of the direct heat.
Nestle the rested steaks back into the white bean ragout to warm them up a bit while you clear off your cutting board and grab some plates.
Divide the hearty ragout between 2 plates and slice up your steaks. Add a bit more sea salt and pour yourself a glass of something special…
If you seasoned your steak generously and pulled it off of the heat at 130 degrees, it will be so beautifully flavored and tender. A medium rare strip steak is sheer perfection and when those salty juices are combined with the rustic, hearty ragout of white beans, mushrooms and garlic… this meal is truly special.
Sitting around a fire enjoying this comforting meal is something that I hope you all get to experience (hopefully sooner than later) and maybe it will inspire more outdoor adventures for you in the future.
Strip Steak with White Bean Ragout
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of New York strip steak
- sea salt, black pepper and seasoned salt
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 large shallot, finely minced
- 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
- 15 ounces of cannellini beans with the liquid
- 1/4 cup of parmesan, grated or finely shredded
Instructions
- Allow your steaks to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling
- Pat your steak dry with paper towels and season generously with sea salt, black pepper and seasoned salt on all sides
- Place a large cast iron skillet over medium to medium high heat and allow it to preheat for a few minutes
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter and a splash of olive oil into the skillet and place the seasoned steaks into the warm skillet
- Cook for 5-6 minutes on the first side undisturbed and then flip the steak and cook to your desired level of doneness (130 degrees for medium rare)
- Once your steaks are cooked to your liking, transfer onto a cutting board and lightly cover with foil (optional)
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the skillet along with 15 ounce can of cannellini beans with the liquid, 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms, the rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, finely minced garlic and shallot
- Simmer for about 5 minutes, transfer the skillet off of direct heat and stir in 1/4 cup of grated parmesan
- Taste and add additional salt or black pepper, if necessary
- Slice the rested steak and serve with the white bean ragout
