Oscar II was king of Sweden from 1872 to 1907. His reign was the last of united Norway and Sweden. Best known for his motto "Broderfolkenes Vel" meaning "Welfare of the Brethren People", he was fluent in speech, reading and writing both languages and spent more time in Norway than any other monarch of the unified nation. His commitment to communication and fairness were hallmarks of his monarchy, according to historians.
Near the middle of his reign, 1897 to be precise, he was served a dish so delectable that it still bears his name to this day. Originally prepared from butter-sauteed veal cutlets and served with crab meat, asparagus and bearnaise sauce. Some chefs describe this flavor and texture profile as unctuous or umami meaning "the essence of deliciousness." The common, modern preparation is a thick filet mignon, grilled or seared and finished to a medium or mid-rare cook.
So what makes Steak Oscar so good?
The secret must certainly be the sauce. Bearnaise sauce is notoriously challenging to master; melding challenging elements into a silky smooth melt-in-the-mouth flavor and texture.
Beginning with salted butter, melt two tablespoons on medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in carefully, one egg yolk. Once incorporated, slowly add a few drops at a time of tarragon reduction - prepared in advance by boiling fresh or dried tarragon from 1/2 cup to a concentrated liquid about 2.5 tablespoons. Then add one tablespoon of lemon juice a few drops at a time, alternating on/off heat to help the ingredients meld. Also, add a tiny amount of lemon zest (about 1/8 teaspoon). Fresh, finely chopped tarragon leaves - about 1/2 teaspoon - should be added right at the end for color and flavor. Taste and add cayenne pepper and salt sparingly to taste. For each pair of steaks, beyond two in number, double the sauce recipe. You might want to triple the sauce recipe up front if serving mashed potatoes or rice since the sauce also makes the most mouth watering addition to any basic starch.
For the foundation of the dish, use a 4-8 oz. beef filet or other prime cut of the chef's choosing. Rolled in kosher salt and black pepper and seared on a 575-degree grill or cast iron pan for two minutes on each side, the flavors of the beef are locked in and cooking is well under way. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 425-degree oven. The cooking completes with the heat turned off immediately after putting the steak in.
Four minutes yields medium rare, for a two inch thick cut. For rare, subtract one minute. For medium, wait an additional minute before removing from the oven. The steak should rest about 4 minutes before serving.
Large lumps of crab meat should be prepared ahead of time and heated in melted butter to 145 degrees just before serving. Steamed asparagus spears go on top as the last building block.
Place the steak in the center or slightly to one side of center on the plate, add crab meat, and two or more steamed asparagus spears, Finally, spoon sauce generously over the finished dish.
Serve with wild rice, your favorite potato preparation, or autumn vegetables like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips or tri-color carrots.
After an extensive search locally, we didn't turn up any menu featuring this preparation, not even places known as steak houses. Long ago the restaurant Garfield's served this dish in their Redlands restaurant. Since it seems to be history for the time being, we thought this "how-to" feature might just be enjoyed by our friends and neighbors who have been enjoying Grand Junction Lifestyle now for three full years..
We hope you find this "publisher's choice" to be a new or refreshed favorite for your palate.