I created this dish inspired by a tasty and rich Napa Valley Merlot. Wild mushrooms really complement the exquisite flavor of a grass-fed New York strip steak. This dish is so simple to make, yet so sophisticated and delicious. You should try it at home!

For this dish, I used hen-of-the-woods and oyster mushrooms. If you can’t find these, try to use other varieties of wild mushrooms at your farmer’s market or local store. Just don’t go after the white button mushrooms… flavor just won’t be the same.

New York Strip Steak with Creamy Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 2 grass-fed New York strip steaks (approx. 1 ½” thick)
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leafs pulled
• Coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Grape seed oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp shallots, minced
• 6 oz wild mushrooms (hen-of-the-woods, oysters, etc) carefully sliced
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F
2. Pat steaks dry, rub with 1 tsp of grape seed oil, and sprinkle both sides with thyme, sea salt, and black pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. 
3. In the meantime, heat large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Melt butter; add shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add mushrooms to pan and season with salt and pepper; cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. 
5. Reduce heat to medium; add cream and stir with wooden spoon, making sure to scrap any bits from the bottom of the pan. 
6. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning, if needed. Set aside.
7. Heat large heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-high-high heat. Add a drizzle of grape seed oil and swirl to cover bottom of the skillet. Add sprigs of thyme. Sear steaks on one side for about 5 minutes*. 
8. Turn steaks and immediately transfer to oven. Roast for 12-15 minutes (or until internal temperature reaches 135° for medium rare). Remove steaks from oven and let rest on a board for 3-4 minutes. Slice and serve topped with creamy wild mushrooms.

* I like to add large pieces of chopped onion to the skillet if too much surface area is exposed (i.e. not covered by the steak). Prevents the pan from burning and add a great flavor to the steaks.

Roasted Rainbow Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 lb rainbow fingerling potatoes
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Olive oil
• Coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven at 450°F Cut the potatoes in half and toss them in a large bowl with thyme leafs and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. 
2. Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast for 30-35 minutes.