Brown Sugar Bourbon Steak

Brown Sugar Bourbon Steak pairs succulent pan-seared steak with a sweet and creamy brown sugar bourbon sauce. This steak is sure to be the centerpiece of any dinner. This dish pairs deliciously with brown rice, egg noodles, cauliflower rice, steamed veggies, or baked potatoes.

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Step 1: Prepare the Steak

Stir Fry Steak

We love to use pre-sliced stir fry steak for this recipe. Mostly because the work of cutting perfectly thin slices has been done for us, which is a nice time saver. Plus, this steak is pretty lean, so we love to incorporate it in our steak-based meals. You can generally find “stir fry” steak in any grocery store next to the other cuts of steak.

Flank Steak or Round Steak

Another couple of great lean steak options are flank steak and round steak. These steaks are not going to be pre-sliced. They may come in a large section or in round pork-chop style cuts, so you’ll have to slice it up to the desired thickness.

To prepare flank steak or round steak, use a fork to hold the steak in place and a very sharp knife to cut the steak into slices. You will want to cut against the grain. This will cut through some of that tougher muscle fibers in the meat and leave you with much more tender steak when cooked. If you don’t cut against the grain you’re going to have tougher meat, which no one enjoys.

“Against the grain” just means cutting perpendicular to the direction the muscle fibers run. Check out this quick How To Slice Meat Against the Grain by the Kitchn for more info.

Another quick tip for slicing raw meat is to wrap the meat in plastic wrap and freeze for about 15 minutes. This will help the meat firm up just enough to make the cutting process easier. It won’t actually freeze the meat. By the time you finish salting the meat and letting it sit it will be back to room temperature.

Season Steaks

Once the steak is cut, season with salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each) on both sides of the steak slices and set aside for about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Pan Sear the Steak

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, coat with cooking spray and place steak strips into pan. You will want to cook the steak in batches to make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. It will take about 3 rounds to finish cooking all the steak.

Stir-Fry Steak

Cook the strips for about 1 to 2 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. The strips should have a nice browning on both sides.

Once done, transfer the strips to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Apply a fresh coat of cooking spray to the pan and repeat with another batch of strips. Continue this process until all of the steak has been cooked.

Flank or Round Steak

Cook steak strips 3 to 4 minutes per side (medium-rare) or 6 to 7 minutes per side (well done). The times may vary a little based on the thickness of your strips and type of steak, so keep an eye on the steak to ensure it’s not overdone.

Once the steak is cooked to desired doneness, transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Apply a new coat of cooking spray and repeat the process until all the steak has been cooked.

Step 3: Make Brown Sugar Bourbon Sauce

Reduce the heat to medium heat. In the same pan, add beef broth, bourbon, and brown sugar and whisk together.

Combine flour with a small bit of water in a bowl and whisk until the flour dissolves. Then add the flour mixture and milk to the pan and whisk together to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and reduced by about half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from heat.

Step 4: Serve and Enjoy

Remove the foil from the steak. Spoon sauce over the steak and sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Enjoy!

Serve with your favorite side dish, like baked potatoes, brown rice, or tender egg noodles. Check out these yummy pairings from Stick’s Scratch Kitchen:

• Miso Brown Rice
• Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
• Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Miso Butter Farro (exclude the sausage)

Let us know what you think about Brown Sugar Bourbon Steak by dropping a comment or rating our recipe! Make sure to tag us in your creations on Instagram @sticksscratchkitchen.