Carneros'18 Recipe

Sweat shallots and reduce

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter. When it melts, add the minced shallots and sweat gently until translucent, about 3–4 minutes; do not brown.

Deglaze and reduce

Add the 2 cups Pinot Noir and bring to a simmer. Add the thyme sprigs and crushed peppercorns. Reduce the wine down by about two-thirds until it coats the back of a spoon, roughly 18–22 minutes.

Finish the glaze

Add the beef/veal stock and continue to reduce until the sauce is glossy and about 1 cup remains, another 8–10 minutes. Strain out solids into a clean saucepan, pressing to extract liquid. Return to low heat, whisk in the brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the 1/2 teaspoon salt to finish and create a glossy, balanced glaze. Keep warm.

Bring steaks to room temperature

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and let sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sear the steaks

Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over high heat until smoking. Add the neutral oil and swirl. Place steaks in the pan and sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until a deep brown crust forms. Flip and sear the other side 2 minutes.

Finish with butter and aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, the smashed garlic cloves, and 2 thyme sprigs to the pan. Tilt the pan and spoon the melted butter and aromatics over the steaks (baste) continuously for 1–2 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium-rare (about 3–4 more minutes depending on thickness). Remove steaks to a cutting board and rest 8–10 minutes tented loosely with foil.

Slice and glaze

After resting, slice steaks against the grain into 1/2" slices. Spoon several tablespoons of the warm Pinot reduction over the sliced steak or serve the glaze on the side.

Cook roots

Place the peeled and chopped sunchokes and Yukon Gold potatoes in a pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until very tender, about 15–18 minutes.

Blend to purée

Drain well and return to the pot. Add the heavy cream, milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 3/4 teaspoon salt and white pepper. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor and blend until very smooth and silky. Adjust seasoning to taste. If too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons warm milk to reach desired texture. Keep warm.

Make quick pickle

In a small saucepan, bring rice wine vinegar, water, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to a gentle simmer until sugar dissolves. Pour over the quartered cremini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and let sit at least 15 minutes (can be made ahead and chilled).

Finish plating

To plate, spoon a generous smear of sunchoke purée onto each warmed plate. Fan 4–6 slices of the sliced ribeye over the purée. Drizzle 1–2 tablespoons of the Pinot reduction over the steak. Scatter 4–6 quick-pickled mushrooms and a small handful (about 1 tablespoon) of microgreens or baby arugula. Sprinkle snipped chives over the dish for freshness.