Saturday night dinner is sous vide eye fillet steak with potato gem poutine (provolone and smoked cheddar cheeses and gravy) plus mushrooms and crispy Brussels sprouts.

My personality

I was chatting with a friend today about my personality.

Introverted	–	99%
Observant	–	56%
Feeling	–	51%
Judging	–	51%
Turbulent	–	63%

People who really know me won’t be surprised by how introverted I am. I live alone and for now, I’m happy about that. I enjoy my own company. I’ve lived a full life, I’ve been married, I’m divorced, I’ve learnt a lot about myself, what makes me happy, what upsets me, what unsettles me, and what I think I want for my future.

One thing I know about my future, is food will be a feature. Cooking and eating. Perhaps even growing some of my food. Growing up as a little boy, my maternal grandfather spent long periods of time living with us. Mum was pretty ill when she was pregnant with my youngest brother. She’d already had two very difficult births. My grandfather converted our backyard into a market garden. I don’t have a green thumb and the thought of gardening fills me with horror, but I do have fond memories of picking and eating fresh vegetables. Fresh fruit and vegetables taste so much better than what you get in a supermarket.

Faith will also feature more in my future. I’ve been in the wilderness for a long time and around this time last year, a friend started a good thing in my life. It’s been a year of revelation and self reflection and growth.

Ingredients

• Eye fillet steak
• Iodised salt (ground)
• Black pepper (freshly cracked)
• Oregano leaves (dried)
• Potato gems (Tater tots in North America)
• Provolone cheese (grated)
• Smoked cheddar cheese (grated)
• Gravox instant gravy
• Brussels sprouts
• Mushrooms
• Beef dripping
• Butter

Instructions

Steak

1. Remove the meat from the wrapping and season liberally with salt, pepper, and oregano leaves.
2. Vacuum seal in a food safe plastic bag.
3. Cook sous vide in a water bath at 54 °C for 2 hours and 15 minutes.
4. Remove the meat from the plastic bag and dry the meat with absorbent kitchen paper. Try to dry the surfaces as much as possible.
5. Take some mushrooms and roughly break them up with your fingers rather than slice them with a knife. You want a rustic rough look to them. Although, if you feel refined, you can slice them, I was feeling like being a bit rough and rustic tonight. Not that I’m ever refined and sophisticated 🤣
6. Heat a skillet (cast-iron if you have it) until it’s just smoking hot and add in a little beef dripping to smear the surface.
7. With long kitchen tongs, place the meat in the skillet and press down firmly for about ten seconds and repeat this with all surfaces of the meat.
8. After the first turn, add in some more beef dripping and butter and the mushrooms so while the meat is searing, the mushrooms are cooking and the butter is browning.
9. Remove the meat from the skillet and set it aside.
10. Spoon the mushrooms and sizzling dripping and butter over the steak.
11. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes.
12. Slice into just under 1 cm thick slices and hope the meat has a deep red blush to it.

Gary’s “Poutine” and Brussels sprouts

1. Grate the cheese fresh.
2. Slice the Brussels sprouts in half and toss in a mixing bowl.
3. Splash in some olive oil and season the Brussels sprouts liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the oil and seasoning to ensure good even coverage.
5. Heat an oven to 250 °C and place frozen potato gems (tater tots) into a baking sheet (keep to one side) and on the other side add the Brussels sprouts.
6. Cook until the Brussels sprouts have become crispy.
7. Remove the Brussels sprouts and then top the potato gems with the grated cheese.
8. Cook until the cheese begins to brown. The potato gems should be crispy.
9. Make the gravy according to the packet instructions.

Plating up

1. Use a spatula to scoop the cheesy potato gems onto a dinner plate.
2. Add the Brussels sprouts next to the potato gems.
3. Lay the slices of steak over the cheesy potato gems.
4. Place the mushrooms next to the meat and then spoon gravy over the meat, Brussels sprouts, and cheese potato gems.

Final thoughts

1. What do you think of my version of poutine?
2. Do you like your steak done like this?

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