Seared Steaks & Homemade Steak Sauce

Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients & start the sauce

   Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Large dice the potatoes. Grate the cheese on the large side of a box grater. Peel the carrots and thinly slice on an angle. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. In a bowl, combine the sliced white bottoms of the scallions, soy glaze, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

2. Cook & mash the potatoes

   Add the diced potatoes to the pot of boiling water. Cook, uncovered, 16 to 18 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add the grated cheese; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Using a fork or potato masher, mash to your desired consistency. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm.

3. Cook the vegetables

   Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced carrots and zucchini pieces in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and slightly softened. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned and softened. Add the chopped garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe out the pan.

4. Cook the steaks

   Pat the steaks dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on all sides. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned steaks. Cook, turning occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare (125°F), or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a cutting board; let rest at least 5 minutes.

5. Finish the sauce

   While the steaks rest, to the pan of reserved fond, add the sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

6. Slice the steaks & serve your dish

   Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested steaks; slice crosswise against the grain. Serve the sliced steaks with the mashed potatoes and cooked vegetables. Top the steaks with the sauce and sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!