Steak Diane

Steak Diane likely conjures up thoughts of smoking jackets and martinis—and for good reason. While this retro restaurant dish was first served in 1930s London, it made its way to the U.S. and was a mainstay of the 1960s and 1970s "Continental cuisine," alongside other favorites like fondue and cordon bleu.

A good Steak Diane recipe delivers a perfectly rare and well-seasoned steak with a nice crust that forms under butter basting. The sauce is smooth and luscious with pops of texture from shallot and garlic. The sauce's flavor is layered and complex with the Worcestershire sauce and burned off cognac, mustard, and onions.

Learn how to make Steak Diane, and serve it for a fancy date night or a wonderful holiday meal. We firmly believe this old-school dish should come back into rotation.

What Is Steak Diane?

Steak Diane usually refers to a pan-seared steak dish that is cooked in butter and finished with a flambéed cream and cognac sauce. Some recipes use strip steaks, but we prefer tender beef filets or beef tenderloin medallions. Likewise, some sauces are beefed up with mushrooms; others skip them.

The "Diane" in the recipe refers to the pan sauce and how it's made: with mustard, cream, Worcestershire, and flambéed cognac.

Basting the steaks in butter really ensures the steak itself will have a flavorful and beefy saltiness that contrasts beautifully with the cognac notes of the sauce. Flambéing is quick, safe, and easy, but if you don’t have ventilation, simply omit this step, or allow the alcohol to cook off on low heat instead.

Ingredients for Steak Diane

For Steak Diane, it does pay off to get some high-quality ingredients for certain parts of the dish. We'll explain:

• Beef tenderloin filets: Some Steak Diane recipes use thinly-pounded steaks, but for this elegant dinner, we like a more substantial beef tenderloin filet. This is one of those ingredients where we recommend you pay a bit more for a good steak.
• Salt and pepper: Simple seasonings for the steaks.
• Garlic cloves: Adds savory and robust flavor to the sauce and butter basting liquid.
• Vegetable oil and butter: We like cooking the steaks in both fats, but you can cook in all of one or the other.
• Thyme sprigs: Cooked with the garlic in the basting sauce for the steaks.
• Shallot: These mild onions are great for deepening the flavor of the sauce.
• Cognac: If you have the means to use a higher quality cognac, do so. One with more flavor won’t have such a sharpness compared to cheaper cognacs.
• Whipping cream: The creamy sauce needs cream, and this higher fat dairy product is better than standard milk.
• Dijon mustard: Adds a nice tartness to cut through the butter and cream.
• Worcestershire sauce: Brings a tart, umami-rich flavor.
• Parsley: For a final hint of freshness, used as a garnish.

How To Make Steak Diane

Steak Diane is essentially a three-step recipe. We've outlined that here in a brief recipe summary, and you can find the full recipe with step-by-step photos further below:

• Step 1. Cook the steaks: Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet, and add steaks, cooking and turning until the steaks are browned on both sides. Add butter, smashed garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs to the pan. Spoon the hot butter mixture over the steaks continuously, cooking the steaks until they reach rare (120°F). Move the steaks to a cutting board, and let rest.
• Step 2. Make the sauce: Remove the smashed garlic cloves and thyme from the skillet, but leave behind the butter and juices. Add the shallot and minced garlic and cook about 1 minute, until translucent and softened. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add cognac, and ignite the cognac with a long match or lighter. Once flames have burned off, add the cream, mustard, and Worcestershire, and stir to release browned bits on bottom of pan.
• Step 3. Assemble dish: Slice the steaks. Pour the sauce over the sliced meat, and garnish with parsley.

Tips for the Best Steak Diane

This recipe is special and elegant, so we asked the Test Kitchen to provide some tips to make this recipe a success for you:

• Don't overcook the steak: It's very important for the filets to cook to rare for the best texture. Pull at 120°F. It will continue to rise to 125°F while it rests.
• No vent? No flame. Do not flambé the sauce if you do not have proper ventilation. If you do not have a hood system or fan above your stove, then do not light the cognac on fire. Either omit the cognac completely, or turn off the heat, add the cognac, and return it to low heat, simmering to reduce the alcohol.
• Use another steak. This recipe is really about the sauce, and you can use whatever piece of steak you prefer. We also tested this recipe with New York strip. If you prefer the fattier meat of the NY strip, go ahead and use it. But filet mignon is more traditional.
  

What To Serve With Steak Diane

Steak Diane is an ideal date night meal, so if that's your plan, cut this recipe in half. Then, impress your date with a flambé and sexy steak. Nothing is more romantic than flames and red meat with a hint of cognac.

You just need to complete the meal with some great side dishes: Any kind of creamy, starchy side would be delish, such as mashed potatoes with cream cheese or maybe even some creamed gouda grits. Or try something lighter, like roasted broccolini or asparagus.

How To Store Leftovers

If you have leftover steak or sauce, store them separately for up to 4 days. You can reheat the steak in a 250°F oven, wrapped in foil, until warmed through. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through. Add more cream or stock to thin out the sauce if needed.