Steak with Pomegranate Molasses Butter Sauce
Almost once a week, I make a dinner like this: a plant-based carb, lean protein and my favourite veggies. This Steak with Pomegranate molasses Butter Sauce is one of my go-to 'reset' dinners to remind myself to focus on eating more whole foods and enjoying them balanced together on a plate. The highlight of this recipe is a pomegranate molasses butter sauce. The sauce is incredibly simple yet makes anything taste amazing with that subtle sweet and sour tang.
Components
Steak: Use whatever steak you prefer- my top 3 picks are: strip loin, ribeye and tenderloin. If you're not much of a steak person or want to switch things up, swap it out for some juicy chicken breast or chicken thighs.
Butternut squash: My first choice for a delicious carb source when it comes to dinners like this. Slightly sweet, nutty, and earthy, the butternut squash is cubed and roasted to perfection. Feel free to swap this out for a different complex-carb like baked russet potato or sweet potato. Get the roasted butternut squash recipe here.
Broccolini: I always include some sort of cruciferous vegetables when making a dinner like this. They add a ton of micronutrients and offer a good amount of fibre. Feel free to swap this out for regular broccoli, cauliflower or Brussel sprouts.
Mushrooms: Mushrooms are one of my favourite vegetables and for me they are a class of their own, offering an umami, meaty experience in a vegetable. Sautéed to golden perfect until they are slightly charred, they are the perfect complement to the steak in this dinner. If mushrooms aren't your thing, swap them out for a different vegetable you love like roasted carrots or sautéed zucchini.
Butter sauce: The star of this plate- Pomegranate molasses Butter Sauce. A simple combination of pomegranate molasses, butter and garlic come together to create this subtly sweet and sour sauce that brightens up the entire dish.
How & Why to Dry Brine Steak
To dry brine a steak, pat it dry, season it with salt (and any desired spices), and place it uncovered on a rack in the fridge for a minimum of 4-6 hours but ideally overnight. The salt draws out moisture, which evaporates in the fridge, concentrating the steak's flavour and creating a drier surface. This process helps the steak develop a better crust when cooked, as less moisture on the surface allows for more effective searing. Additionally, this can intensifies the beef’s natural flavours, leading to a richer, more tender steak.
This Steak with Pomegranate Molasses Butter Sauce features juicy steak, roasted butternut squash, sautéed mushrooms, and crisp broccolini for a balanced, flavourful meal. The star of the dish is the pomegranate molasses butter sauce, which combines the sweet-tart tang of pomegranate with butter and garlic, adding a luxurious finish that enhances the entire dish.
- 2 pcs Tenderloin Steak
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1-2 tbsp avocado oil (if needed)
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1-2 Garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 1 pk Cremini Mushrooms (10-12 mushrooms)
- 1/2 tsp Garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 of a lemon juice
- 1 bunch Broccolini
- 1-2 tbsp Olive oil
- Garlic salt (to taste)
- 3 tbsp butter (unsalted)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
- To dry- brine steak, place the steak on a wire rack and pat completely dry. Season with salt and pepper generously and place uncovered in the fridge for at least 4 hours. If you don’t have time to dry- brine, simply pat steaks dry and season with salt and pepper.
For the roasted broccolini, slice any thick stalk in half lengthwise so all the stems are a similar thickness. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle garlic salt on top. Massage the oil well to coat the broccolini paying close attention to coat the florets. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 9-12 minutes depending on how crunchy or soft you like your broccoli.
- Prep the mushrooms by slicing whole cremini mushrooms in half and then slice that half once again. If the cremini mushrooms are very small, you may just slice them in half once.
To make the butter sauce, get a small sauce pot on medium heat and whisk cold butter until just melted. Grate in a garlic clove and allow to cook in the warm butter for about 30 seconds being careful not to cook the butter on too high of a heat or the butter will separate. Slowly whisk in pomegranate molasses off the heat until well combined.
- For the steak, heat a large pan on high-medium heat for 2-3 minutes. If there is little to no fat on your steak, add 1-2 tbsp of neutral oil to the pan. If there is a good amount of fat on your steak, sear this side of the steak first for 30-60 seconds to release fat/oil into the pan. Once oil is hot, sear steak for about 1 minute to 1 & 1/2 minutes per side as well as the edges.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add in butter, garlic and rosemary. Allow the butter to melt and cook with the steaks for about 30 seconds then tilt the pan so the butter falls to one side and push the steaks to the top of the pan. Use a large spoon to baste the steaks for about 30-60 seconds.
- Transfer the steaks along will all the butter to a plate lined with aluminum foil and lightly cover to rest. If you like your steak more on the medium side, tightly cover so the steam cannot escape and the residual heat will help cook the steak further.
- In the same pan used to cook the steak, add in the mushrooms and cook on a medium high heat. Season with garlic salt and smoked paprika and cook for 3-4 minutes. Once halfway cooked, add in butter and cook the mushrooms without stirring often for another 2-4 minutes until golden and slightly crispy on the edges. Turn off the heat and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Plate the steak over the roasted broccoli and mushrooms and drizzle with the pomegranate molasses butter sauce.
To make the roasted butternut squash, click here.