Updated August 20, 2023
Enjoy a delicious and Paleo-friendly dinner with a quick and juicy steak. Enhance its flavor with caramelized balsamic onions for a gourmet touch. For a restaurant-worthy experience at home, serve it with steamed carrots or broccoli.
When choosing a steak, opt for quality grass-fed cuts like sirloin, T-bone, Rib-eye, or filet. Look for marbling, a vibrant red color, and firmness. The Rib-eye is a chef’s favorite due to its fat marbling, which adds flavor and tenderness.
Caramelized onions not only provide a unique sweet flavor but also offer dietary fiber, potassium, iron, folic acid, and key health-promoting nutrients like vitamins C, A, E, and B6. To remove the strong smell of onions from your hands, rub them with lemon juice and salt before washing. Freshen your breath after eating onions by munching on a sprig of parsley.
Cooking a steak to perfection may seem simple, but it has its secrets. Ensure the steaks reach room temperature and pat them dry before cooking. Heat the skillet to a high temperature, then add clarified butter, thyme or rosemary, and a garlic clove. Once the butter foams up, add the steak, season it, and cook each side of a 1/2 to 3/4″ thick steak for 2-2½ minutes for medium-rare, flipping it once or twice. Season the steaks just before or during cooking. After cooking, let the steak rest, tented with aluminum foil, for about 5-6 minutes. Trim off any excess fat before serving.
Caramelized Onion Steak
Serves 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided
1-2 garlic cloves
1 pound rib eye steaks or other cut of choice, about ¾ inch thick
3 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
2-3 fresh thyme stalks (or rosemary if you prefer)
Sea salt and freshly crushed black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Take the steak out of the refrigerator about half an hour before cooking it to bring it to room temperature.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon clarified butter; add the onions and cook, stirring occasionaly until the onions begin to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar, season to taste and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Set aside while you cook the steak.
- Pat the steak dry with paper kitchen towels, brush with some clarified butter and season to taste.
- Heat a medium cast iron skillet and add the steak. Sear it for about 1 minute per side, then the remaining clarified butter, garlic, thyme and balsamic vinegar. Cook for another minute or so per side, flipping once, until it forms a nice brown crust.
- Once it has cooked to the desired doneness, transfer to a plate and tent with aluminum foil. Let it rest for about 5-6 minutes then cut it and serve topped with the caramelized onions.
Nutrition facts per serving (380g):
| calories 590 | total carbs 15g | protein 48g | total fat 36 | cholesterol 191 mg | sodium 130mg |
