Bistro Cooking

One of the things that makes learning another language difficult is that words have context. The classic example of ridiculous translation is out of sight, out of mind coming out as invisible insanity. Loss of context means loss of sense.

Our word restaurant comes from the french. The type of restaurant that most Americans go to for dinner is different from the restaurant that French people eat at. The french restaurant is a very formal affair. Dinner takes quite some time, much longer than what is typical in America. If you're lucky enough (and wealthy enough) to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris, plan on being there most of the evening.

So what do people in France do when they don't have all evening? Assuming that they don't feel like un BigMac, they go to a Bistro. "Bistro" is a french corruption of the russian word "bistra," "hurry up." When Paris was occupied by Russian troops at the end of the Napoleonic era, the Bistro - a fast style of restaurant service - flourished.

Bistro fare is fast and tasty, which makes it good for home cooking as well. Pan-fried steak and potato make up today's menu. I find that the grill doesn't see much steak, because you can't make a pan sauce with grilled meat.

Steak with Red Wine Sauce:

I like Sirloin tips, because they're inexpensive and are more like what you'd get in an actual Bistro. I also like to make a "crust" - crack some pepper onto a plate (a lot of pepper: cover the bottom), and add a couple good pinches of salt to the plate as well. Lay the steak onto the plate, so that it picks up the salt and pepper. Get a skillet hot, add a tablespoon of oil, and sear the steak. You want some heat in the pan, since you want the outside to be dark (not black, but definitely mahogany color) while the inside is medium rare. it will take around 4 minutes, then flip and do another four minutes.

Remove the steaks from the pan to a plate to keep warm. Now comes the Bistro voodoo. Add a glass of red wine to the pan. As it boils, use a spatula or spoon to scrape the bottom of the skillet. This will pick up and disolve the crusty steak bits - there is a lot of flavor in those bits, so don't just throw it into the sink, or you'll make baby Abudantia cry. Reduce by 2/3 (yes, this sounds like a lot; don't flinch - this is massively concentrating the flavors, and you'll be glad you did). You can add some savory herbs but you'll want to remove the herbs if they're not ground. I like a sprig of fresh thyme, because it's tasty and easy to fish out.

When it's reduced, kill the heat. When it's just barely simmering, add a tablespoon of butter, and stir in until it's entirely melted and integrated. Presto - you have a Bistro pan sauce that is industrial strength. Plate the steaks and drizzle them with the sauce. Serve with Pommes Perseillade.

Pommes Perseillade (potatoes with garlic and parsley)

Cube 5 medium potatoes into 1/2 inch dice (you can leave the skins on). Add 2 tablespoons oil to a medium-hot skillet and pan fry, stirring often, until the potatoes brown and cook through. Season with salt and pepper to taste while frying. A minute before you're done, add 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced (I have to confess that I like the "tube of crushed garlic" that you can sometimes find at the supermarket; yes, I am a barbarian - why did you ask?). Remove from heat and add a cup of finely chopped parsley. Serve with steak.

You need two skillets to make this, since both have to be going at the same time. However, there's not much prep time, so from start to table should only take 30 minutes. Tasty and fast - bistra!

I like an inexpensive red wine with this - a Cote du Rhone is a very nice fit, or a Cote du Ventoux for that slightly-more-obscure je ne sais quos. Santé!