Hollandse Biefstuk. Image credit: Unsplash

Grant Hawthorne’s juicy version of Hollandse Biefstuk

Name: Hollandse Biefstuk
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: A piece of 35-day matured beef fillet (1/2 Chateaubriand); 200 g salted butter; 400 g sliced mushrooms (choose from field, button, chestnut or to your taste); 400 ml brown veal jus; salt and ground white pepper; 100 ml Cognac

This is a moderately easy meal to prepare at home, with rich flavours in the steak’s mushroom, brandy and butter sauce.

by Grant Hawthorne

02-07-2020 18:32

in Recipes

Hollandse Biefstuk. Image credit: Unsplash

This recipe for Hollandse Biefstuk is a variation of one taught to me by the late Jan Warmerdam, who set up the first steakhouse in Cape Town, South Africa.

Aptly named “The Cattleman”, this was the forerunner of what steakhouses were to become. The legendary Dutchman’s signature dish was a “Hollandse Biefstuk” (or Dutch beef steak).

Basically it is a pan-fried beef fillet with a mushroom, brandy and butter sauce.

Hollandse Biefstuk

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Grant Hawthorne Course: DinnerCuisine: DutchDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Aptly named “The Cattleman”, this was the forerunner of what steakhouses were to become. The legendary Dutchman’s signature dish was a Hollandse Biefstuk (or Dutch beef steak).
Basically it is a pan-fried beef fillet with a mushroom-brandy-butter sauce.

Ingredients

A piece of 35-day matured beef fillet (1/2 Chateaubriand)
200 g salted butter
400 g sliced mushrooms (choose from field, button, chestnut or to your taste)
400 ml brown veal jus
salt and ground white pepper
100 ml Cognac

Method

Heat the butter in a cast iron pan, until it is smoking. Season the fillet well with salt and pepper on one side.
Carefully place fillet in the pan and season the other side with salt and pepper. Wait approximately 1 minute, then lift the fillet out of the pan and return immediately (this is to prevent the fillet from burning or sticking to the base of the hot pan).
The fillet should be turned after approximately 2 minutes, allowing all sides to be evenly seared dark brown.
A minute before ready, remove the fillet from the pan and reserve to one side.
Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté quickly. Flambé with the Cognac and add the veal jus. Reduce till the required consistency. Return the fillet to the sauce, and allow it to heat through very quickly.
Arrange the fillet on a plate (you can slice and fan the fillet), with the mushrooms crowning the fillet and the pool of jus lapping at the edges.
Serve with croquette potatoes or thick cut chips.