steak Diane
Tableside flambéed beef
Steak Diane is a dish of pan-fried beef tenderloin served in a rich sauce of butter, shallots, mushrooms, cognac, and cream, often flambéed tableside.
It was a staple of upscale American restaurants in the mid-twentieth century: The waiter prepared our steak Diane with theatrical flair.
Boneless cut from loin
- beef tenderloinCow's tenderest muscle
- pan-friedCooked in shallow fat
- sautéedCooked quickly in fat
- shallotsMild clustered cooking bulbs
mushrooms · cream sauce · demi-glace · Worcestershire · brandy sauce · butter · garlic · peppercorns
Spirit from fermented fruit
- ignitionStarting combustion process
- flameBurning gas made visible
- tablesideNext to seated diners
- cognacGrape-based distilled spirit
caramelization · sear · reduction · sizzle · flaming · torch · blaze · spirit
Formal display to viewers
- theatricsExaggerated dramatic behavior
- spectacleVisually striking event
- showmanshipSkill at impressive presentation
- performanceCarrying out a task
entertainment · flair · elegance · finesse · dramatics · panache · dining room · silver service
Decade after WWII
- supper clubUpscale evening eatery
- old-schoolAdhering to past methods
- mid-centuryHalfway through a hundred
- country clubPrivate recreational membership facility
filet mignon
Boneless cut from loin
- beef tenderloinCow's tenderest muscle
- pan-friedCooked in shallow fat
- sautéedCooked quickly in fat
shallots · mushrooms · cream sauce · demi-glace · Worcestershire · brandy sauce · butter · garlic · peppercorns · chateaubriand
brandy
Spirit from fermented fruit
cognac · caramelization · sear · reduction · sizzle · flaming · torch · blaze · spirit · deglazing
presentation
Formal display to viewers
- theatricsExaggerated dramatic behavior
- spectacleVisually striking event
- showmanshipSkill at impressive presentation
performance · entertainment · flair · elegance · finesse · dramatics · panache · dining room · silver service · chafing dish
1950s
Decade after WWII
- supper clubUpscale evening eatery
- old-schoolAdhering to past methods
- mid-centuryHalfway through a hundred
country club · dinner party · Julia Child · throwback · revival
steak, Diane, steaks, steakhouse, Diana