Gaelic Irish Steaks with Whiskey Cream and Colcannon
I found inspiration from three ingredients: steak, potatoes, and whiskey.
When creating an Irish-themed dinner, I found myself inspired by three ingredients: steak, potatoes, and whiskey. A beautiful sirloin steak served with a creamy sauce and buttery mashed potatoes is a hearty, flavor-packed menu that will make some delicious memories. Irish food is often considered rustic and humble, and that’s part of its charm. This menu is an elevated experience of traditional fare that I’d say is as elegant as it is comforting.
The menu begins with steaks and whiskey, and that’s not a bad place to start. I make a marinade for the steaks with melted butter and an Irish whiskey; I’m using Jameson. The steaks will spend a minimum of three hours soaking up that marinade, becoming tender and infused with smokey-whiskey flavor. They’re seared in a cast iron pan to achieve a beautiful crust. Once seared, I put the cooked steaks into a preheated oven until ready to serve.
I can’t imagine a St. Patrick’s Day menu without potatoes. I’m leaning on tradition with this recipe for colcannon potatoes. Colcannon potatoes are usually made with cooked and shredded cabbage but I’m going a bit rogue here by swapping the cabbage with kale; kale is a bit heartier and adds a nice flavor to the potatoes. Colcannon potatoes with kale are a tasty homage to the original recipe with a trendy twist.
I’ve got steak and potatoes and now it’s time for whiskey. Yes, whiskey’s been integrated into the steak marinade but I want to lean in on that flavor with a whiskey cream sauce for the steaks. Whiskey, cream, shallots, and butter play an important role here in creating a luxuriously rich cream sauce that echoes the flavors I used in the steak marinade.
Steak, potatoes, and whiskey were the inspiration here and I believe all three enjoy their share of the limelight in this recipe for Gaelic Steaks served with Whiskey Cream and Irish Colcannon. I like to serve this with Irish Cheddar Scallion Biscuits, Roasted Root Vegetables and Burnt Honey, and an Irish Apple Crumble. Enjoy!
Gaelic Irish Steak with Whiskey Cream and Irish Colcannon
For marinade:
- 7- 6 oz. sirloin steaks
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup Irish whiskey
For whiskey cream:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 shallots, finely minced
- 1/2 cup Irish whiskey (We've used Jameson)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
For colcannon:
- 2 1/4 lbs. Russet potato, peeled and diced
- 3 cups curly kale, chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion, diced
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup whole milk
Preparation
- Place sirloin steaks in a large Ziploc bag with the mixture of melted butter and Irish whiskey. Marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Fill a large pot with cold water and bring potatoes up to a boil. Season water with salt and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife.
- In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt butter and add kale to the pan. Let cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until wilted, then add green onion to the kale. Remove from heat and let sit.
- Drain the potatoes. Return them to the cooking pot and add milk. Mash to personal preference, chunky or smooth.
- Add cooked kale to the mash and season mixture with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
- Remove marinated steak from the fridge and let it come to room temp for 30 minutes.
- Preheat a cast iron pan over high heat for 3 - 4 minutes then add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
- Pat dry steak and sear steak for 2 - 2 ½ minutes on one side, then cook for 1 - 2 minutes on the other side. Reserve cast iron.
- Remove steak to a sheet tray and repeat with remaining steaks. Place in a preheated oven to finish cooking for 2 - 6 minutes.
- In the steak pan, heat to medium-low heat. Add butter to the steak pan and let it melt.
- Add shallot and garlic and let cook for 1 - 2 minutes, then add whiskey. Note: be careful of flambé, so turn off the heat, then reignite. Cook until mostly evaporated.
- Add cream, beef stock, and mustard and season with a little salt and cracked pepper. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Enjoy!