Home >Recipes >Bistecca with Balsamic-Roasted Onion Crostini

Serves: 4

3 large red onions

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

salt, preferably gray salt

freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 large porterhouse steak, about 1 1/2 lbs and 2 inches thick, at room temperature

Preparation Time: Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Preheat the oven to 450°F. If using large onions, peel them and cut into thirds or quarters, depending on size. Leave as much root on as possible to keep the wedges from falling apart. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Turn on the exhaust fan and place the steak in the pan. Stand back to prevent being splattered. Cook until brown on the first side, about 2 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side. Remove to a rack or baking pan until ready to finish cooking. When ready to finish, place steak in the oven until done as desired, about 10 minutes for rare. Remove the steak to a carving board and let rest for about 5 minutes. Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in the same sauté pan the meat came out of over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium and cook until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place the pan of onions in the oven and roast until tender and browned (the edges will tend to char ), 15- 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly until light brown. Add the thyme and stir. Add 2 tbsp of the vinegar (stand back so as to not get splattered) and toss well with the onions. Stir and scrape up all the browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. To serve, cut the meat off the bone, then carve into thin slices. Arrange the meat on crostini and top with the roasted onions (about 1 slice of meat per crostini). Pour any juices from the carving board on the crostini. Serve immediately. A 1 1/2 lb porterhouse should give you about 14 oz of meat off the bone, enough for 3 or even 4 people. However, if you are steak lovers, you might want to buy two steaks of that size for four people.