Name: Steak Oscar (home recipe)
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 filet mignon steaks, about 225g each and 4cm thick; 200g cooked crabmeat, preferably Dungeness or king crab; 8 asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off; Salt and coarse black pepper; 2 tbsp neutral oil for searing; For Bearnaise: 3 egg yolks; 200g clarified butter warm; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 1 tbsp dry white wine; 1 tbsp minced shallot; 1 tsp dried tarragon; salt and white pepper

History

Steak Oscar is a Continental preparation combining tender beef, shellfish, and a butter-emulsion sauce over asparagus, rooted in late-19th century European dining. It became a staple of American steakhouse luxury menus in the mid-20th century. In Oklahoma City, Vast Restaurant made the dish a signature by serving it 49 floors above the city in the Devon Energy Center, the tallest building in Oklahoma. Vast opened in 2012 and built its Steak Oscar around hand-cut prime filet mignon, fresh crabmeat, and a classic Bearnaise from clarified butter and tarragon reduction. The tableside presentation element connects the dish to the golden era of formal American dining.

Common allergens: Dairy, Eggs, Shellfish

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 40 minTotal 50 minDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

2 filet mignon steaks, about 225g each and 4cm thick
200g cooked crabmeat, preferably Dungeness or king crab
8 asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
Salt and coarse black pepper
2 tbsp neutral oil for searing
For Bearnaise: 3 egg yolks, 200g clarified butter warm, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp dry white wine, 1 tbsp minced shallot, 1 tsp dried tarragon, salt and white pepper

Method

Make the Bearnaise reduction first: simmer vinegar, wine, shallot, and tarragon together until almost dry, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly. Whisk egg yolks with 1 tablespoon water in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water until pale and thick. Remove from heat and slowly drizzle in warm clarified butter while whisking constantly. Strain, season, and keep warm.
Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water 2 to 3 minutes until just tender. Drain and keep warm. Warm crabmeat gently in a small pan with 1 tablespoon butter.
Pat steaks dry, season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Sear steaks 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rest 5 minutes on a warm plate.
To plate: place each steak on a warm plate, arrange asparagus across the top, spoon warm crabmeat over the asparagus, and finish with Bearnaise sauce poured generously over all.

Tip from the editors. If the Bearnaise breaks, whisk a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl over gentle heat and slowly drizzle in the broken sauce as if it were butter to rescue it.