Easter Brunch Steak and Eggs Benedict

I am so full this minute and it has nothing to do with chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, or Cadbury Creme eggs. It is because of brunch.

One of Alexis' favorite breakfast meals is Eggs Benedict and I made a version of one today that was our favorite ever.   It earns the "to die for" designation.

Steak and Eggs Benedict.  The idea I had was to make it like leftovers from a night at the steak house.  Instead of the usual English muffin, Canadian bacon, poached egg and Hollandaise sauce, I used a toasted yeast roll, roasted asparagus, thin sliced ribeye, poached egg and Bearnaise sauce.  

It took a little bit of coordination to time everything to come together at the same time but is was worth every bit of effort. The velvety sauce went so well with the robust flavor of asparagus and the milder taste of egg and steak.

Steak and Eggs Benedict
Source:  www.nibblemethis.com
Servings:  4

Ingredients

• 2 yeast rolls, split in half
• 2 dozen spears asparagus, trimmed
• 1.5 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 ribeye steak, leftover and cold, shaved into thin slices*
• 4 large eggs, as fresh as possible
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 cup bearnaise sauce, homemade*

Instructions

1. Make your Bearnaise sauce and keep warm.  I kept mine in an Oxo insulated cup like a thermos.  First I let the cup sit with hot water in it for 5 minutes to warm it up before using it for the Bearnaise sauce.
2. Bring a large pan with 2-3 inches of water and the Tbsp of white wine vinegar to 150f on your stove top.  Preheat your oven to 450f.
3. Break your eggs into 4 separate small bowls.  Gently slide each of the eggs into the water by pouring them out of their bowls at the water level.  They will sink with some of the egg whites making ribbons and things will look like something is going wrong.  It's not - don't panic.  Keep the water temp at 150f and cook for 15 minutes for a set yolk.
4. Once the eggs go into the water, rub the asparagus tips with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a roasting rack and pop them in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
5. Place the split rolls in the oven about 4 minutes later, cut side up and toast 4-5 minutes, until lightly toasted and crispy.  I had clarified butter out on the stove from the Bearnaise sauce so I brushed the rolls with some of that but it's not necessary.
6. Everything should be done just about the same time.  Have 4 warm plates and top each with a toasted roll half, 6 pieces asparagus, several slices of the steak, a poached egg, and a some of the Bearnaise.
7. Garnish with minced tarragon and serve warm.

Notes

• The steak needs to be sliced very thin which should be easy with it being cold.  You won't heat it.  The thin slices will be heated by the hot asparagus and egg.
• Bearnaise sauce - I use a slight adaptation of the hand made Bearnaise sauce recipe in Joy of Cooking (1997 version).   I consider it a zero calorie sauce.  Sure it's full of butter but the 45 minutes of whisking (ok I exaggerate) burned off any calories I might have eaten.

I grilled an extra steak Saturday night just for this dish and then hid it in the 'fridge so it didn't "disappear" during the night.

Another reason I made Bearnaise sauce...I have a butt load of tarragon already.

Cold steak slices easy and thin.  Think like lunch meat slices, that's what you want.

"To die for"

 April Giveaway Reminder
Don't forget to enter my April Giveaway, a signed copy of Steven Raichlen's newest book Best Ribs Ever - 100 Killer Recipes, which hits the shelves April 25th.

Big Wayner's BBQ Giveaway
Just noticed a giveaway for Draper's BBQ, one of my favorites.  Check it out over at Big Wayner's BBQ, open until 4/11.