Steak and mushrooms are meant for each other. It is a marriage of the earthy-aromatic mushroom and the rich, corn fed beef. It is an American classic. A large porterhouse smothered in mushrooms was one of Mark Twain's favorite meals. His wry whit painted a vivid picture of this classic pairing.
"A mighty porterhouse steak an inch and a half thick, hot and sputtering from the griddle; dusted with fragrant pepper; enriched with little melting bits of butter of the most impeachable freshness and genuineness; the precious juices of the meat trickling out and joining the gravy, archipelagoed with mushrooms; a township or two of tender, yellowish fat gracing an out-lying district of this ample county of beefsteak; the long white bone which divides the sirloin from the tenderloin still in its place." Mark Twain
Prime NY steak is an excellent second choice, especially when paired with our local chanterelle mushrooms. The mushrooms were gathered two days ago in a "secret location" near downtown Santa Barbara. It is an unlikely spot that has yielded some 20 plus pounds of these tasty gems. We jokingly call it our grocery store.
The recipe that follows would also work with pork chops, other tender beef cuts like tenderloin and breast of chicken. When chanterelles are out of season, other wild mushrooms such as porcini, oyster and morel are all great substitutes.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Golden Chanterelles in Santa Barbara's Oaken Forests