Virtual Mad Men Finale Party – Steak in the Pan with Butter, Potatoes au Gratin, and a Perfect Manhattan

This Sunday is the beginning of the end of Mad Men. Sniffle. I have been a huge fan of the show for years and am sad to see it end. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still throw a little party of my own in celebration of the final premiere!

All week, bloggers have been  featuring their own spins on Mad Men-inspired recipes to gear up for the premiere this Sunday, when we will have a Virtual Mad Men Finale Party!

I adapted some recipes from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men by Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin. I wanted to cheers to Mad Men in style, so I made a version of Trudy’s Rib Eye in the Pan, Individual Potatoes au Gratin, and Perfect Manhattans.

If you’re a Mad Men fan, you probably remember Trudy calling Pete at the office early into their marriage asking what he wanted for dinner. His response: “Rib eye, in the pan, with butter.” So Pete, this one’s for you! This version is a pan-seared New York Strip Steak with cognac butter. (I made New York Strip Steaks instead of Rib Eye, because that would have just been way too much meat for me.)

The steaks are paired with an adapted version of Julia Child’s Potatoes au Gratin, served in individual crocks.

And what’s a Mad Men Party without a cocktail?? I decided to make a more modernized version of a classic, called a Perfect Manhattan, which refers to using equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.

If you want to also Party Like a Mad Man, you’re in luck! I also have a copy to give away! Details after the recipes.

Adapted from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook

Ingredients:

Steak in the Pan with Butter:

• 4 boneless New York Strip Steaks, ~1 inch thick
• 4 teaspoons canola oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 oz cognac
• 8 tablespoons butter

Potatoes au Gratin

• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 pound raw potatoes (about 2-3 large potatoes), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, crumbled (I used Valley Thunder from Valley Shepherd in Reading Terminal)

Perfect Manhattan

• 8 oz rye whiskey (I prefer Dad’s Hat’s version that is finished in Vermouth barrels)
• 2 oz dry vermouth
• 2 oz sweet vermouth
• 8 dashes bitters
• maraschino cherries for garnish

Begin by taking your steaks out of the refrigerator and letting them come to room temperature.

Meanwhile, begin the potatoes au gratin. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place a cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack to preheat with the oven.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a saute pan over low heat.

Add the onions and cook in the butter until tender but not browned. (I kept mine on for 15 minutes to really have them break down.)

When the pot is boiling, add your potatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until slightly cooked. Drain thoroughly.

Butter your 4 individual crocks (you can use any small oven safe dishes). Add just enough potatoes to each crock so that you can no longer see the bottom.

Divide the cooked onions among the 4 crocks.

Top evenly with the remaining potatoes.

Add the eggs and half and half to a medium sized bowl and beat to combine. Add the salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Pour the eggs and cream mixture evenly over the potatoes and shake the dish to send the liquid to the bottom.

Sprinkle each crock with the cheese. Cut your remaining tablespoon butter into 8 small pieces and dot the crocks with 2 piece of butter each.

Once you add the potatoes to the oven, turn the temperature to preheat to 500 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes in the upper third of your oven until the top is browned.

While the potatoes are in the oven, coat the steaks lightly with oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a burner on your stove to high heat. Remove the cast-iron skillet from the oven (carefully, it will be hot!) and transfer for your burner. Add two of the steaks to the pan and cook for 30 seconds without moving the steaks. Turn and cook for an additional 30 seconds without moving the steaks. Remove from heat and set aside. Repeat with remaining 2 steaks.

Add the reserved steaks back to the pan and add the skillet to the oven. Cook for 2 minutes (put it on the bottom rack, your potatoes will still be cooking). Flip the steaks and cook for another 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and add to a burner. Remove the steaks from the pan, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. While the steaks are resting, pour cognac into the pan (you don’t need to turn on a burner, the pan will be plenty hot). Stir the cognac with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the butter and stir until melted.

Pour the butter sauce over the steak and serve with the potatoes.

Before digging in, don’t forget to make your Manhattans! Add a maraschino cherry or two to the bottom of 4 cocktail glasses. (Aren’t these gorgeous? They are actually vintage glasses from the 1960’s I found at a local store that specializes in vintage glassware, More Than Old. Betty Draper would be so proud!)

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rye, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, and bitters.

Stir well for about 20 seconds. Strain into 4 cocktail glasses and serve.

Well don’t I feel fancy pants? This was quite the indulgent dinner party!

The steak had a really nice sear on it and came out medium rare (if you like it more medium, add another minute to the cooking on each side in the oven).

The potatoes au gratin were cheesy, creamy, deliciousness. I honestly could have halved this recipe and we still would have been fine!

The balance of sweet and dry vermouth in a Perfect Manhattan is, well, perfect. The Dad’s Hat Rye Whiskey that is aged in vermouth barrels really makes for a smooth cocktail!

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