Makers Mark and Strip Steaks with Chef Preston Clark

As you may already know, we here at The Manual are big fans of cooking and barbecuing with bourbon. (But really, who isn’t?) However, we have another bourbon inspired recipe for you to use this Labor Day Weekend in order to cement one more great summer memory.

Our latest recipe comes from Chef Preston Clark who heads the kitchen at New York City’s Resto, as well as its sister restaurant The Cannibal. Chef Clark certainly knows how to prepare meat, as his menu at The Cannibal features appetizers such as a Pig’s Head Terrine and entrees like Roasted Lamb Neck and Rib For Two. As you can tell, he isn’t messing around.

For Labor Day Weekend, Chef Clark recommends preparing Pan Seared New York Strip Steaks. This recipe serves four and features a “pan sauce” that utilizes Makers Mark, which has become one of America’s trademark bourbons. The sauce contains all the ingredients and flavors you would expect from a late summer barbecue: apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Cayenne pepper, soy sauce and garlic. The strip steaks themselves are prepared with a simple kosher salt, pepper, garlic and thyme rub that will satisfy anyone—including that one friend who just won’t get out of the pool because he doesn’t want summer to end.

With Chef Preston Clark’s culinary knowledge firmly in tow, you can officially send summer off in style with your Labor Day Weekend barbecue. We’ve included the recipe below. Now get thee to the butcher!

Ingredients:

4 N.Y. Strips (1 ½ inches thick)

3 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Fresh Black Peppercorns coarsely crushed

2 tablespoons Canola oil

1/3 pound Butter

4 Garlic Cloves

3 sprigs Fresh Thyme

For the Pan Sauce:

2 tablespoons Butter

3tablespoons Chopped Onion

2 Chopped Garlic cloves

1 ½ cups Makers Mark 46

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/3 cup Soy Sauce

1 sprig Fresh Thyme

1 sprig Fresh Rosemary

2 teapoons Kosher salt

Method:

1. Season both sides of the steaks with the salt and the coarse ground black peppercorns.

2. In a cast iron pan, heat the canola oil on high heat until in just begins to smoke.

3. Add the steaks to the hot pan, searing the steak well.  About 2 ½ -3 minutes on each side.

4. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the butter, garlic and thyme and baste the steak with a spoon. Be sure to baste the steaks well on both sides, cooking to desired doneness.

5. Remove the steaks from the pan to a resting platter.

6. Remove the fat from the pan.

7. To make the sauce, add the butter over medium heat to melt

8. Add the chopped onions, garlic and cook slowly while constantly stirring.

9. Add the Makers mark 46 and reduce until there is about ½ cup of whisky left.

10. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the herbs and cook until the sauce is the proper consistency. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon

11. Finish the sauce by adding the sprigs of Thyme and Rosemary.

12. Spoon the Steak sauce over the steaks and enjoy.