SPICE-CRUSTED STEAKS WITH CHERRY SAUCE

Spice-Crusted Steaks with Cherry Sauce image

If you're hosting meat lovers, these impressive cast-iron skillet steaks are guaranteed to please. They're perfect for a special-occasion dinner without too much fuss. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 1h5m

Yield 4 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup port wine, warmed
3-1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground coffee
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
4 beef tenderloin steaks (1-1/4 inches thick and 6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Crumbled blue cheese, optional

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine cherries and wine; set aside. In a shallow dish, combine the pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, coffee, salt, cinnamon, cumin and mustard. Add 1 steak at a time and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. , Place oil in a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet; tilt to coat bottom. Heat oil over medium-high heat; sear steaks, 2 minutes on each side. Bake, uncovered, until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°), about 15 minutes. Remove steaks and keep warm., Wipe skillet clean; saute shallot in butter until crisp-tender. Add broth and thyme. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Stir in cream; bring to a boil. Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. , Stir in the reserved cherry mixture. Serve sauce over steaks. If desired, sprinkle with blue cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 506 calories, Fat 28g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 124mg cholesterol, Sodium 381mg sodium, Carbohydrate 20g carbohydrate (13g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 39g protein.