Balsamic Red Wine Reduction Sauce for Steak

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion, sliced thin
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
• 1 sprig of fresh Rosemary

Instructions

1. In a medium sauce pan, sweat sliced red onions in olive and butter over medium heat until translucent, and beginning to caramelize.
2. Add dry red wine and balsamic vinegar, and boil until liquid is reduce by 1/2.
3. Add beef broth, and boil until liquid is reduced by 1/2 again.
4. Add rosemary, salt, and pepper, reduce heat to simmer, and allow the sauce to continue to reduce until it is the consistency of warm syrup.  There should be about 1/2 cup of sauce in the pan.
5. Discard onion and rosemary (or just leave them in the pan).
6. Using a spoon, drizzle sauce over grilled steak.

Note

When I make filet mignon, I like to rub the steak with olive oil, course salt and black pepper, then sear over medium-high heat for a few minutes on all sides.  I then remove the steaks before they are over-cooked, leaving the fond (pan drippings) in the pan.  I then follow the above process, add a few spoonfuls of sauce to a plate, and set the fillet on top. The red wine will deglaze the pan, which adds a very delicious quality to the sauce.

Bon Appétit!

Cajun Moon (song)

Cajun Moon by J.J. Cale

The Hunt for Perfect Scrambled Eggs

The Hunt for Perfect Scrambled Eggs started for me when I was the camp cook for a local hunting club -- The Texarkana Hunting Club--who hunted mainly white-tail deer in south-central Arkansas.

Deer hunters are finicky about their breakfast, especially when it comes to certain odors and scents which they claim deer can smell from a distance -- like onions and peppers, for example.

From the beginning of my occupation of the hunting club's kitchen I was informed, in no uncertain terms, of this almost sacred rule. So, for breakfast I had to prepare foods, like scrambled eggs, without the usual add-ins like onions, garlic and peppers, as previously noted, which are associated with my style of Cajun cooking.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Here is a simple recipe which the hunters enjoyed. You can apply it to home cooking, too, if someone in your group doesn't like the taste of onions and other spices. It will serve 20 people.

• 30 large eggs
• 30 Tbs water (just shy of 2 cups)
• 10 Tbs butter
• 1 tsp salt

On medium heat in a large heavy skillet melt the butter. In a large bowl beat the eggs, water and salt together well. Add the mixture to the skillet and slowly cook while scrapping the bottom and sides. You should constantly stir the eggs around until they are sufficiently done. Do not over-cook the eggs because they will dry-up too quickly. It's always a good idea to serve your scrambled eggs slightly moist.

Question? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Answer: the rooster.
KT