Hungarian Peasant Steaks

Hungarian Wine

Did you know that Hungry was once the preeminent wine region in the world? During the 1700s and 1800s Hungry produced some of the most sought after wines in the world, catering to the tastes of Europe’s elite. The Hungarian wines included both red and white wines of superior quality. Sadly, war, political upheaval, and economic regression saw the Hungarian wine industry wither and all but die. Thankfully today the Hungarian wine industry is on the mend and poised to again be a major producer of quality wines.

I recently purchased a delightful bottle of Hungarian wine, a dry, astringent, full-bodied red. Given the strength of the wine I knew it would go well with red meat and rich, fatty foods. I put together some steaks with a cream and red beet sauce that balanced the wine perfectly.

Hungarian Peasant Steaks

You will need:

2 cups dry red wine

½ pint heavy cream

1 red beet, puree

8 mushrooms, sliced

Shallots, minced

2 large steaks

Black pepper

Bay leaves

Salt

• Preparing the steak:
• Rub steak in black pepper
• Place in a shallow pan and cover with 1 cup of red wine
• Add 2 bay leaves and allow to sit refrigerated overnight
• 
  
• Preparing the sauce:
• In a saucepan on medium heat combine 1 cup red wine and beat puree and juice
• Simmer until the mixture begins to reduce
• Add shallots and sliced mushrooms
• Salt to taste
  
• Add heavy cream, stir slowly until sauce thickens
• Pour over grilled or fried steak