Sirloin Steak with Carmelized Onions and Butternut Squash Puree

Made this delectable recipe on Monday night, and it was a hit!

Sirloin Steak with Carmelized Onions and Butternut Squash Puree

Ingredients:
1 medium-large butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 large onion, sliced into strips (sweet onion is best)
2 servings of sirloin steak (our serving sizes are 4-5oz in our house)
salt and pepper



Instructions:

Squash Puree
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the split halves of squash face up on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with some brown sugar, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and break up bits of the butter over the squash halves. Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour, or until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Scrape the inside of the squash into the bowl of a food processor/blender, and pulse until the squash is a smooth consistency. You can add a little more brown sugar, or butter, or both to your desired taste. Sometimes a touch more salt helps to pop the flavors, but don't overdo it.

Note: I recommend getting a nice large butternut squash and making more than you need for this recipe. Then you can use the leftovers for other meals or soups. It makes a great filling for home-made ravioli, too!

You can make the puree ahead of time, if you like. It can refrigerate for a couple days, and you can scoop out what you need and warm in a saucepan over medium heat before serving.

Caramelized Onions
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the onions to a large saute pan. Toss the onions to coat with oil. Cook the onions over medium-low heat for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so to allow the onions to brown, but not burn. You can add butter to this as well, and/or add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the onions for a little sweetness and to help in caramelization.  For another layer of flavors, add a dash of basalmic vinegar to the onions in the last 5 minute of cooking. Remove onions from heat when they are dark brown and sweet.

Sirloin Steak (Alton Brown Method)
Prep the sirloin by setting on the counter at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Coat all sides generously with kosher salt and let sit another 5 minutes. Rinse off salt with cold tap water.

Once you take the butternut squash out of the oven, while the onions are finishing carmelizing, continue to prepare the sirloin. Set oven on broiler setting. Make foil 'snake' out of aluminum foil to use to keep oven door slightly ajar so that broiler won't turn off if it gets too hot.

Brush steak with oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Place a piece of foil on the bottom rack as a drip pan. Place another rack in the position above this and put the steak directly on this rack. Cook steak in this position for 5 minutes.  Flip steak and cook for another 5 minutes. Move rack with steak to top position in oven, moving rack with foil and drippings just underneath, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip 1 last time and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer steak to wire rack and rest for 3 to 5 minutes. (These times are for medium doneness. Adjust cooking times up or down as desired.)

Once rested, cut steak against the grain in 1/4" slices.

Plating
Scoop a generous mound of butternut squash puree in a line down the center of the plate. Lay sliced steak on top of puree, and top all with a mound of caramelized onions. Tucking some celery leaf or basil leaf into the end of the golden butternut puree tops this plate off colorfully and beautifully.