Steak de Burgo

Dinner | American

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 10 min Servings: 2

Steak de Burgo is a dish that was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in the 1950s, and it never really left. Outside the American Midwest most people have never heard of it, but it’s got a serious cult following there, and once you try it you’ll understand why.

Firstly, you'll need a thick beef tenderloin fillet which will be seared with a protein press so every bit of the surface makes contact with the pan, basted in butter and garlic, then rested while you make a quick pan sauce with wine, oregano, more butter, and fresh basil. It’s rich, simple, and completely delicious.

The whole thing takes about 10 minutes of actual cooking. You rest the steak, build the sauce in the same pan while you wait, and then everything comes together at the same time. Serve it with mash or crispy potatoes and some greens. This is the kind of dish that looks impressive but is genuinely easy to pull off once you understand the basic idea of sear, baste, rest, sauce.

Ingredient Notes

Beef tenderloin fillets: Tenderloin is a very tender cut. It has little connective tissue or fat marbling, which means it cooks quickly and stays incredibly soft, but it also means the flavour relies heavily on the butter baste and sauce. Ask your butcher for thick pieces: a 220g fillet should be at least 4cm tall so it doesn’t cook through before you get the baste in. If tenderloin isn’t available, a thick sirloin (New York strip) is the best substitute and what many Iowa restaurants use.

Tallow: Tallow is rendered beef fat. It has a high smoke point (around 250°C) and a deep savoury flavour that complements beef better than most neutral oils. It’s available from good butchers or online. You can also used peanut oil as it has a similar high smoke point and a neutral flavour that won’t compete with the butter sauce. Avoid butter or olive oil for the initial sear as they burn at the temperatures needed.

Dry white wine: The wine deglazes the pan and lifts all the browned butter and garlic bits into the sauce, adding acidity and depth. Use something dry and drinkable: a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or dry Chardonnay all work well. Avoid anything sweet or heavily oaked. If you’d prefer not to use wine, a splash of good chicken stock with a small squeeze of lemon juice is the best non-alcoholic substitute.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Heavy-based frying pan
Protein press or second heavy pan (for pressing)
Tongs
Instant-read thermometer
Resting tray or plate
Spoon (for basting)

Ingredients

2 beef tenderloin fillets (220g each)
salt and cracked black pepper, to season
1 tbsp tallow or peanut oil
80g butter, cold and chopped
6 cloves garlic
3 sprigs fresh thyme
60ml (¼ cup/2oz) dry white wine
½ tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
mashed potato or crispy potatoes, steamed greens or salad, to serve

Directions

Prep and cook the beef
Pat dry your beef and season steaks well with salt.
Heat tallow in a heavy based frying pan over medium-high heat.
Place steaks carefully into your pan with the hot tallow and place a protein press on top. Turn steaks every 45 seconds, 4 times, to sear the outside of the fillets.
Remove protein press and continue to cook, flipping every 45 seconds until you reach your desired internal temperature of 5-6°C below medium rare (46°C - 52°C).
Add 20g of the butter, thyme and 3 crushed garlic cloves to the pan. Once the butter starts to foam, begin basting until your steaks reach the desired temperature.
Transfer to a tray to rest.
Make the sauce
Reduce the heat to medium and discard the garlic and thyme from the pan.
Finely chop the remaining garlic, then add to the pan with the oregano and saute, moving frequently, for 30 seconds.
Deglaze pan with wine and cook for 30 seconds to reduce by half.
Turn the heat off and add the remaining butter, mix continuously until the sauce comes together. Check for seasoning, then add the torn basil.
Finish and serve
Slice steaks to serve, then pour over a generous amount of sauce, with a side salad or steamed greens and crispy potatoes or mash.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Keep the butter cold going into the pan

Cold butter emulsifies into the sauce rather than splitting. If the butter is at room temperature it melts too quickly and can burn before it does its job during the baste or when building the sauce. Cut it straight from the fridge, keep the pieces in a bowl, and add them gradually so the pan temperature stays under control. This applies to both the basting butter in Step 1 and the remaining butter in the sauce.

Use a protein press

A protein press holds the entire base of the fillet flat against the pan surface, ensuring even contact and an even crust across the whole steak. Without it, a thick tenderloin will dome up in the centre and cook unevenly. A second heavy pan pressed down firmly works as a substitute. Apply the press as soon as the steak goes in and keep it on for the first four 45-second turns.

Storage

Steak de Burgo is best cooked and eaten straight away. The butter sauce will solidify in the fridge and doesn’t reheat cleanly. If you need to prepare ahead, season the steaks and refrigerate uncovered overnight: the dry surface gives a better sear. Cook to order and make the sauce fresh each time.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time? You can season the steaks and refrigerate them uncovered overnight, which actually helps dry the surface for a better sear. The cooking itself and the sauce need to be done just before serving: the butter sauce doesn’t hold well and the steak loses its crust if left to sit.

Can I use a different cut of beef? Yes. New York strip (sirloin) is the traditional substitute and is used in many Iowa restaurants. It has more fat marbling than tenderloin, which means more flavour in the meat itself. Ribeye also works well. Keep the thickness at 4cm or more so the baste has time to work before the steak is cooked through.

Is this dish gluten free? Yes, as written. All the ingredients (beef, tallow, butter, garlic, wine, herbs) are naturally gluten free. Just check the label on any stock you might use as a wine substitute, as some contain gluten.