Steak Diane

If you're after a retro treat - you can't go past a classic dish like Steak Diane. It's versatile enough to be an easy steak dinner or serve it up to impress someone special. The secret? That savoury, yet creamy Diane sauce.

Jump to:

• 🥩 What is Steak Diane?
• 🥩 What steak should I use?
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Top tips
• 🥗 Side dishes
• 📖 Recipe

🥩 What is Steak Diane?

In simple terms, it involves cooking a cut of steak in a delicious sauce that consists of butter and cream. The added flavour comes from using Worcestershire sauce and Cognac to finish it off.

All the good stuff!

🥩 What steak should I use?

Traditionally, the recipe for Steak Diane calls for a cut of steak and pounding it quite thinly. Tenderising the meat makes it quicker to cook.

I've opted to use a slightly thicker cut - a NY cut steak with an added layer of fat.

Cooking the meat and rendering that fat gives the dish that "necessary" extra flavour. Mmmmmm!

Don't forget. Fat is flavour!

🥘 Ingredients

• Steak - For my version of Steak Diane, I've used "NY" strip steak. However, feel free to use a cut of meat you prefer.
• Butter - Provides the necessary fat.
• Shallots - In Australia we use confusing terminology when it comes to shallots - referring to them as "spring onions" . The "real" shallots are a smaller, sweeter and have a more subtle onion taste.
• Cream - use a thin or pouring cream. Don't use any pre-thickened creams with gelatines sold at the supermarket.
• Brandy - any decent brandy will do. Or if you want to be authentic go for Cognac!
• Dijon mustard - goes without saying. Adds depth to the Diane sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce - gives the Diane sauce the necessary "kick". This should be a fridge staple.
• Parsley - greens are good and they add a nice colour.
• Salt and black pepper

🔪 Instructions

• Cook the steak according to your liking and set aside.
• In the same pan, you cooked the steak add the butter and allow to melt on medium heat. Add the diced shallots and fry for a few minutes until translucent.
• Pour the cream, brandy and Worcestershire sauce and let the mixture come to a quick boil.
• Add the parsley, salt and pepper, stir and place the steaks in the sauce to coat.
• Plate the steaks with extra Diane sauce on a plate along with some green beans and serve immediately.

💭 Top tips

• Steak substitutions - If you can't find or don't like the cut of meat I'm using here, try eye fillet or rump steak instead.  Or perhaps you can try using veal, pork or chicken. Even though it's called Steak Diane, it's that unctuous sauce that makes this dish sing!
• Fat - Use a good quality butter. I can't stress that enough! Along with the cream it creates a magical combination in our Diane sauce.
• Alcohol - I'm not a Cognac drinker. However, I don't mind brandy. It's easier on the wallet, and I can use it in a lot of other recipes.

🥗 Side dishes

• Pair Steak Diane with a classic Greek potato dish - "patates sto fourno"
• Love mash? Then pair it with my carrot and dill mash
• Love your greens? Try my Rainbow Chard with olive oil and lemon juice

📖 Recipe