Steak with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Pepper Sauce

1. 1 Beef tenderloinpack 500 g ≈ $20.00Not in every store: Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, Safeway, Whole Foods 132 g
2. 2 Potatoes≈ $2.15 per kg 156 g
3. 3 Butterpack 180 g ≈ $1.60 27 g
4. 4 Garlic≈ $10.00 per kg 4 g
5. 5 Fresh thymepack 20 g ≈ $2.50Not in every store: Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, Safeway, Whole Foods 2 g
6. 6 Milk 2.5%pack 930 ml ≈ $0.91 42 ml
7. 7 Cream 10%pack 500 ml ≈ $2.40 48 ml
8. 8 Pepper mix 1 g
9. 9 Beef stock cubes to taste
10. 10 Salt 2 g
11. 11 Sunflower oil 5 ml

Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.

Method

1. Peel, chop, and boil the potatoes² in salted water for 18–20 minutes until tender.

2. Drain the water, mash the potatoes² with hot milk⁶ and 25g of butter³ until smooth.

3. Pat the steak dry, season with salt, and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

4. Heat oil in a heavy skillet and sear the steak 3–4 minutes per side for medium doneness.

5. Add 15g of butter³, minced garlic⁴, and thyme, basting the steak with the aromatic butter for 1 minute.

6. Transfer the steak to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes.

7. Deglaze the pan with cream⁷, add a crumbled beef¹ bouillon cube and a mix of ground peppers, simmering for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.

8. Serve the steak with mashed potatoes² and pepper sauce.