Petite Tenders with Pan Gravy and Creamed Leeks
Seattle chef Brock Johnson confessed his love of the petite tender -- a relatively lean, delicious, and cheap cut of steak -- with a side of rich creamed leeks.
Servings : 3-4 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time 25 minutes Total Time: About 55 minutes
Inspired by Small Town Woman’s recipe, we’ve tinkered around to make our favorite pan recipe for these Petite Tender steak medallions. The petite tender is a tiny, tender muscle approximately the shape of a pork tenderloin that hides deep inside the shoulder. (So no, this is not a tenderloin – it’s a much cheaper alternative that’s rapidly gaining popularity at restaurants around the country for its deliciousness, tenderness, and low price point!) The muscle is called the Teres Major; you might also hear this cut called the Bistro Cut or the Petite Shoulder. All you really need to know is that it’s a steal. And that because it’s relatively lean, you want something rich with it. We took Seattle chef Brock Johnson’s suggestion of pairing it with creamed leeks.
STEAK AND GRAVY INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs petite tenders
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbs soy sauce
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger
- Splash white wine (optional)
- 3 tbs butter
- 3 tbs flour
- 14 oz beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
CREAMED LEEKS INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 large leeks chopped thin
- 1/4 cup water
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the marinade, combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, white wine, ginger, garlic, and red wine vinegar in a large Ziploc bag. Add the petite tenders and marinade for about a half hour.
- Preheat that grill!
- Remove petite tenders from marinade and discard the liquid. Grill to medium-rare (or desired doneness, keeping in mind the USDA’s recommendations for beef). Remove from grill and let steak rest for 5 minutes.
- On your stovetop, melt butter in two skillets – one is for the pan gravy, one is for the leeks. You’ll deal with the gravy first, since it requires constant whisking.
- Once the butter is melted in your gravy pan, add flour and whisk constantly until smooth, getting out all the lumps. Once the mixture is bubbling (this takes about 1 minute), add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and dried oregano and parsley. Cook until it’s as thick as you like it.
- Once the butter is melted in your leeks pan, add the chopped leeks and water and season with ground pepper and kosher salt to taste. Cover and turn the heat down to low, cooking until leeks are tender or approximately 8-10 minutes. Stir in the cream, add more salt if you’d like, and tada!
- Slice steaks into medallions, pour pan gravy over, and serve with side of creamed leeks.
