Tomato Toppers
Staring at the yummy photo of a porterhouse steak on the cover of the July Gourmet made me think of my days in the restaurant business.
It wasn’t the steak that brought back the memories, though. It was the garnish of cherry tomatoes.
When I was cooking professionally back in the 1980s, most if not all entrees were served with a garnish of sauteed cherry tomatoes.
To me, they were slightly more than a garnish. Just barely cooked and glistening with clarified butter, I loved to pop these into my mouth when I had a few extra — or even when I didn’t.
And though I think they are delicious on their own, I also think they are a great accompaniment to almost any kind of meat or protein, especially a fatty one. The acidity of the tomatoes really cuts through fat and protein for a wonderfully balanced and juicy biteful.
The next time you’re cooking a simple steak, pork chop, piece of chicken or fish fillet, try sauteing a few cherry tomatoes to serve along with it.
And here’s the Gourmet recipe for that steak.
Porterhouse Steak with Pan-Seared Cherry Tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 1 1/2-inch-thick porterhouse steaks (about 1¾ pounds each)
4 teaspoons kosher salt
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 cups mixed cherry tomatoes
6 large thyme sprigs
1½ cups coarsely torn basil leaves
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in middle.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
3. Meanwhile, pat steaks dry and sprinkle with kosher salt and 1½ teaspoons pepper.
4. Sear steaks 1 at a time, turning once, until well browned, about 10 minutes total per steak. Transfer steaks to a shallow baking pan (do not clean skillet) and cook in oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of steaks registers 120 degrees for medium-rare, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let stand 15 minutes.
5. While steaks stand, pour off oil from skillet. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté garlic until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add tomatoes and thyme to hot oil (be careful; oil will spatter), then lightly season with salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, just until tomatoes begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in any meat juices from platter, then scatter basil over tomatoes and spoon over steaks.
Makes 4 servings.
Recipe by Paul Grimes from the July issue of Gourmet.
Gourmet photograph by Romulo Yanes .
