Bistro Beef Steak

This is weeknight cooking that punches well above its weight class.

Sirloin strips get tossed with crushed garlic, parsley, and black pepper, then stir-fried hot and fast so the outside sears while the inside stays juicy.

They land on a bed of crisp-tender red onion rings, and the whole thing gets drizzled with a quick red wine pan sauce made from the browned bits left in the skillet.

Steamed new potatoes on the side soak up every drop.

Twenty-five minutes, two plates, and you’ll feel like you just walked out of a Paris bistro.

Kitchen Tips

• Get the skillet ripping hot before the beef goes in. Crowding a lukewarm pan steams the meat instead of searing it.
• Cut the strips against the grain for tenderness. Going with the grain gives you chewy, stringy bites.
• Use a dry red wine you’d actually drink. Cooking wine from the grocery store will taste exactly as cheap as it is.
• Cook the onion first and keep it warm. It needs more time than the beef, and you want them to finish together.