Before you comment on how weird that pile of stuff on my steak looks, I cannot begin to tell you how amazing it tastes. I wasn’t quite sure about this one when I made it, to be honest with you. But it far exceded my expectations!
A compote is traditionally a long steamed fruit in sweet syrup–typically some sort of dessert. Now, not sure mine technically qualifies as a true compote, but whatever it is, it’s amazing. The sweetness from the dates and balsamic vinegar blend perfectly with the saltiness of the bacon, and then you add in the savory steak. My jaw would have dropped had it not been filled with such awesomeness.
If you’ve ever tried (and loved) dates wrapped in bacon, you know what I mean.
Ingredients:
~ half an onion, chopped up
~ 4-7 dates, pitted
~ 1-1 1/2 strips of bacon, sliced into small pieces
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt
steak — cut & cooked to your preference
Optional Variations:
I mean, you can remove the bacon if you want to, but why?
The How To:
1) Heat about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, don’t let it simmer or bubble up.
2) Put the onions in the oil, coat in the olive oil, then reduce heat, add a little salt, and cover. Stir occasionally, and cook until golden brown. (You’re caramelizing the onions.)
3) Slice the dates into thin pieces. Try to keep them from sticking together. Slice the bacon into similarly sized pieces (maybe a little larger).
4) Add the dates & bacon to the onions, drizzle a little bit of balsamic vinegar, and stir. Cover and let it cook on low heat for a little bit longer, maybe 10 minutes. (Add a little water so it steams some.)
5) Once done, remove from heat and set aside.
6) THE STEAK: This is how I do it… Salt both sides of the steak generously with seasoned salt. Cook in a pan for 2 minutes on each side. Don’t touch it while it’s cooking! Once done, take off the pan and let it sit on a plate for 2 minutes for the juices to set.
7) Plate your steak and top it with your compote. Bask in the glory of your amazing meal.
It looks weird but tastes amazing. I ended up with a lot more compote than I needed, or maybe I just didn’t have enough steak! But it’s like dinner & dessert all wrapped up in one. In fact, look for a bacon wrapped, date stuffed steak bite from me in the future as a little tapas dish.
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