Beef with Mustard-Tarragon Cream Sauce

I have only used Match beef a handful of times, but I am continually impressed by the way in which the company's products mimic recipes using chicken, pork, and - in tonight's case - beef.  Fashion the Match beef into little "steaks" that get topped with a decadent creamy sauce, for an elegant dinner.  Match is sold in 1 pound packages, so the 18 ounces called for in this recipe will be slightly more than 1 package - it's perfectly safe to re-freeze the remaining beef for another use.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 18 ounces Match beef, thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup vegan dry white wine
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vegan sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
• Tarragon sprigs (optional for garnish)

1. Shape the Match beef into 6 (3-ounce) patties, making each about 1-inch thick.

Note: it's helpful to coat your hands with cooking spray when working with uncooked Match, which can be slightly sticky. 

2. Sprinkle the patties evenly with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.

3. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and cook for 3 minutes on each side.  Remove from the pan.

4. Add the white wine, the sugar, and the Dijon mustard; bring to a boil.  Continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, sour cream, and chopped tarragon.

5. Spoon the sauce over the steaks to serve.  Fresh tarragon sprigs make a lovely garnish. 

To round out the meal, I added very simple red potatoes: cut red potatoes into quarters and toss with just a little olive oil, minced garlic, black pepper, and salt to taste.  Cook in the microwave until done - it could take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on your microwave and number of servings - figure on 1 to 2 red potatoes per person, depending how big they are.

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1 steak, 1 tablespoon sauce), Calories 213 

Tasting Notes:
The cream sauce was absolutely lovely.  I enjoyed the licorice notes from the tarragon in combination with the tangy mustard.  To make this dish even better, I would double the amount of sauce, and spoon at least 2 tablespoons over each little steak - not just for the great flavor, but also because the Match was a little dry without it, and was yummiest where liberally covered in the sauce.  Very quick and easy, a good recipe for your repertoire.  

Rating:
3