Minute Steaks with Garlic Cream Sauce
Juicy thin steaks, seared for 1 minute, and then smothered with a velvety, garlicky cream sauce. The sauce is made with three ingredients, dinner is ready in minutes, and you’ll be licking your plate clean.
You’ll want to spoon this garlic cream sauce over everything. And I mean everything – noodles, mashed potatoes, vegetables, chicken, pork, and more. I’m certain I’ll be making this garlic cream sauce over and over again. Especially because it has 3 ingredients. I suggest you serve the steaks and sauce with noodles (I served egg noodles on the side), or rice, mashed potatoes, or bread. You’ll want something to soak up the sauce; that’s guaranteed.
This dish is keto, paleo, and gluten-free. Not that I need to mention that, because “insanely delicious” might suffice. But if you’re looking for recipes that fit those markers, this is your huckleberry.
I have a trick for super tender steaks, and you likely have everything you need. To get the most tender steaks ever, you need baking soda, cornstarch, water, and vinegar. This simple medley penetrates the steak and tenderizes the meat in just 30 minutes. That’s especially important when you’re using lean steaks like the ones in this recipe.
You can use whatever thin steak you want for this recipe. I used thin-cut round that I found on sale at the grocery store. You can also use flank, skirt, and top sirloin. If you can’t find thin steaks, either ask your butcher to slice the steak thin for you, or place the steak in the freezer until it’s firm enough to slice horizontally.
Minute Steaks with Garlic Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or any vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 pounds thin-cut steak, cut into 4 individual pieces (or purchase 4 thin-cut steaks, about 5 ounces each)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, or half-and-half
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a zip-top bag, combine the water, cornstarch, vinegar, and baking soda (watch it fizz!). Add the steak, zip the bag and turn to coat all sides of the steak. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to prevent crowding the pan, add the steaks and cook for 30 to 45 seconds per side, until browned. Transfer the steaks to a plate.
- Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cream and bring to a simmer.
- Return the steaks to the pan with any accumulated juices from the plate. Simmer for 1 minute to heat through.
- Top with parsley (if using) and serve.