Steak with Spring Vegetables and a Spicy Mustard Sauce

I think about this dish often. Good god. It has all of the things I love. Peas are a weakness. I eat them frozen, straight from the bag in the freezer. It’s like that. Mustard is my favorite condiment. My grandma would gift me crazy mustards she’d find because she knew the key to my heart is through my stomach. The sauce is zesty in the way that dijon and cayenne can be. It’s also really pretty. I had no leftovers as I had no shame eating it by the spoonful after slathering every bite in it. Cooking the steak first and letting it rest is key. Then you can cook the vegetables in the delicious fat rendered in the pan. It’s a gloriously simple, yet utterly delicious way to cook vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1lb boneless New York strip steak
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 10oz bag frozen peas
• 1 bunch of asparagus

Preparation

Bring the steak to room temperature if it isn’t already. Pat the steak dry on both sides before covering liberally with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the grated garlic, mustard, vinegar, honey, cayenne [use less if spice isn’t your jam], 1/3 cup oil, and 1 tablespoon of water. Taste for salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut the woody ends off the asparagus. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Rub the steak with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the pan. Wait a solid two minutes before turning it over. Repeat the flip every two minutes until the meat reads 120 degrees when you test the center with a thermometer. It should take about 10 minutes. Transfer the steak to a plate to rest.

Drain the steak fat from the pan. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and heat it over low heat. Add the sliced garlic and all but two tablespoons of the sliced scallions. Cook the mixture, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the frozen peas and a couple tablespoons of water. Cook them, stirring often until they’re tender and cooked through. Mash them up slightly with your spoon. Add the asparagus to the pan and stir to incorporate. Cook for about five minutes until the asparagus is tender. Remove the pan from the heat.

Slice the steak across the grain into thin slices. Nestle them into the skillet smongst the vegetables. Drizzle the mustard sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining scallions. Serve with the rest of the mustard sauce.