Steak with Cognac Creamed Mushrooms. Turn a classic steakhouse combination into an elegant entree by adding Cognac to the cream sauce. An absolutely incredible mix of flavors fit for any king of a steak. A beautiful steak and mushrooms recipe for entertaining.
Look that those beautiful browned mushrooms. Sauteed in olive oil until golden and crispy, then finished with fresh thyme and garlic. After popping several of these in my mouth, I wondered why I needed to continue with the plan of adding cream…..oh, that’s right, for the New York Strip Steak with Cognac Creamed Mushrooms…of course.
What is Cognac?
Simply stated, Cognac is a variety of brandy named after the town of Cognac, France. For a brandy to be called cognac, it must be distilled from grapes grown in the AOC. It’s double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in oak barrels. Cognac must be at least 40 percent alcohol.
Here’s a great article about the different brands of Cognac from Town and Country Magazine.
Way back when, it seemed every restaurant that served steak served a bowl of traditional creamed mushrooms along side…and what I find interesting is that they were always canned button mushrooms. I’m not sure if fresh mushrooms were not as readily available as they are today…or if canned was the tradition. Googling the three top Denver steak houses and scanning their side dish menus, only sautéed mushrooms are offered. I wonder if creamed was a Kansas-Midwest “thing”?
It’s been years since I’ve had creamed mushrooms. So when friends were invited over for a steak dinner, I decided to kick up the impress level and cream some mushrooms to pass in a fancy little bowl at the table.
This was my first attempt and I must say I was pleased with the results. After browning the mushrooms, I removed them and deglazed the pan with cognac, and added some cream.
After a brief simmer I added the mushrooms back in to the cream and simmered until blended. Alongside a baked potato with butter and sour cream, this was a fabulous meal.
And no reason to stick with plain old button mushrooms, switch it up, I’ve made this recipe several time and used baby bellas and shiitake. The shiitake mushrooms really add a beautiful depth of flavor.
It’s important to get a good golden crust on the mushrooms. That’s where all the flavor it. Plus it releases the moisture from the mushrooms and a delightful crispy texture.
Recipe for Steak and Mushrooms. Cognac Creamed Mushrooms with Thyme.
I hope you give this steak and mushrooms recipe a try and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
And if you have a favorite creamed mushrooms recipe that you use for steak, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Fancy Steak Recipes – for Entertaining
- Pan-Seared Bison Strip Steaks
- Curry Lemon Sirloin Steak Beef Kabobs
- Tangy Grilled Flank Steak with Horseradish Cream Sauce
- Pear Risotto with Peppered Steak
Cognac Creamed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mushrooms wild, trimmed, brushed clean with a towel and stemmed, caps left whole
- 4 sprigs thyme fresh, leaves only
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/4 cup Cognac
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 New York Strip Steaks
Instructions
- Remove steaks from refrigerator for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat a sautee pan over medium high heat. When hot add 1/4 cup olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Add the thyme and garlic, and season well with salt and pepper. Toss a few more times to cook the garlic, then dump the mushrooms out onto a platter.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the Cognac. Return the pan to the burner and simmer the Cognac for 2 minutes. Add the cream and cook 2 to 3 minutes it starts to thicken.
- Return the mushrooms to the pan along with whatever juices have collected on the platter and simmer the whole thing another 2 minutes until thickened again. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from heat and cover while you cook the steak. Heat grill to 500 degrees. Add steaks and sear on both sides, about two minutes per side or until well browned. Lower heat to 350, insert meat thermometer and cook about 7 - 8 minutes per side or until thermometer reads 140 degrees for medium. (135 medium rare).
- Gently reheat the mushrooms if needed. Pass mushrooms in bowl at the table. They can be served as a side dish or over the steak.
Nutrition
New York Strip Steak with Cognac Creamed Mushrooms …They’re what’s for Dinner.
