If nothing says “date night” like a juicy steak, then this dish is the equivalent of getting down on one knee. Pan-seared, pepper-crusted steaks are topped with a chive-flecked butter (cue the swoons). But it’s not just any pepper, and it’s not just any steak: Here, freshly cracked peppercorns provide a spicy, crunchy coating for melt-in-your-mouth sirloin steak. On the side, there’s delicately crisp asparagus with toasty almonds and creamy mashed sweet potatoes. No matter who you cook this for, we have a feeling they’ll be smitten.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
2 unit
Sweet Potatoes
¼ ounce
Chives
6 ounce
Asparagus
14 ounce
Sirloin Steak
1 unit
Beef Stock Concentrate
½ ounce
Sliced Almonds
(Contains Tree Nuts)
2 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains Milk)
1 tablespoon
Black Peppercorns
2 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
3 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains Milk)
Salt
Pepper
• Bring 3 TBSP butter (6 TBSP for 4 servings) to room temperature. Wash and dry produce. • Peel and dice sweet potatoes into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Place in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. • Drain and return sweet potatoes to pot. Keep covered off heat until ready to mash.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice chives. Trim and discard woody bottom ends from asparagus. Place peppercorns in a zip-close bag and crush with a heavy- bottomed pan or rolling pin; pour onto a plate and spread into an even layer. • Pat steak* dry with paper towels; season all over with salt. Press both sides of steak into peppercorns to evenly coat. TIP: For a milder flavor, sprinkle steak with peppercorns instead.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook until mostly cooked through, 3-6 minutes per side. • Add stock concentrate and 2 TBSP water (3 TBSP for 4 servings) to pan. Simmer until sauce has thickened and steak reaches desired doneness, 1-2 minutes more. • Turn steak to coat, then turn off heat and transfer everything to a shallow dish. Wipe out pan.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned and tender, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. • Add almonds to same pan; cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. • Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Mash sweet potatoes with a potato masher or fork until smooth. (TIP: If sweet potatoes have cooled, mash over medium-low heat.) Stir in sour cream and 1 TBSP softened butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) until combined. (You’ll use the remaining softened butter in the next step.) Season generously with salt and pepper.
• In a second small microwave-safe bowl, combine remaining 2 TBSP softened butter (4 TBSP for 4 servings), 1 tsp chives (2 tsp for 4), salt, and pepper. TIP: If butter is still cold, microwave 5-10 seconds. • Divide steak, sweet potatoes, and asparagus between plates. Sprinkle asparagus with almonds. Top steak with chive butter. Garnish everything with remaining chives and serve.