Paleo Roasted Sirloin with Mushroom and Garlic Gravy, and Pan-Wilted Spinach

The cavemen would have been proud.

This recipe beats the cookies, I think!  It's a wonderfully tender and moist steak, and the gravy has a great aroma.  This feeds two people.

You’ll need:

1 sirloin steak, preferably grass-fed, between 1 ½ in thick and 2 in thick (about 1 ¼ lb)

Steak seasoning

11 oz package fresh baby spinach

1 large petal garlic, minced

4 baby bella mushrooms, sliced thin

¼ cup white onion, chopped

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

¼ tsp arrowroot starch

First turn the broiler on 'low.'  Season the steak on both sides.  Place your sirloin on a metal pan lined with tin foil, then place in the oven about 5 inches from the broiler (the top coil).  Time it to broil for 12 minutes for medium rare, 15 minutes for medium, etc.  In a small sauce pan on the stove over medium heat, start to cook up your onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil.  Salt and pepper the mixture. 

Once the onions start to turn golden, or carmelize, throw in the mushrooms, stir, and cover the pan to trap in the moisture, also remember to stir occasionally.  Once the steak’s 12 mins are up, turn it over and broil for 12 more minutes on the other side.  When the steak is about 10 mins from done, wilt the spinach in a pan with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, on medium to medium-low heat.  You may need to only do part of the spinach at a time because it may not all fit in the pan at once.  You want it to still be leafy, not reduced to mush, when done.  Also when the steak's about 10 mins from done, turn the heat on the onion and mushroom mixture to simmer, add about 2 tbs water to it, and cover again. 

When the steak’s about two mins from done, stir the arrowroot starch into your mushroom mixture, and cover with the lid again.  It will begin to thicken.  Once the steak’s done, remove it, slice in thin slices, and serve with the spinach and a bit of the chunky gravy on top. 

It's the bee's knees, y'all!  

On a more personal note, a few discoveries I've made since starting the Paleo Challenge...

1.  I've discovered that Golden Corral has a good deal of Paleo options you wouldn't be able to choose from at other restaurants (where I often feel like the only veggies I can get are lettuce and tomato via a salad).  They've got roasted chicken, beef, ham sometimes, baked yams, a myriad of hot veggies, and a salad bar with fresh fruit.  Just another option for those of you who want more variety.  Of course, you always risk not knowing what's in your food when eating out unless they have a specified ingredients list.

2.  I've become far more scrutinizing of food, even when I don't have to be.  I'm becoming afraid of meats that are not grass-fed, wary of any food that comes in a box or bag, and am beginning to sneer snobbily at foods I used to buy pretty regularly, for fear of the dreaded cane juice and high fructose corn syrup monsters!  These are all positive changes, I think.  Alas, dairy still calls my name on a regular basis, and I'd die for a spoonful of mac-n-cheese, but I'm being strong, and seeing the payoff of it.  I've lost a few pounds and look a bit more lean.  Hopefully some PRs at the gym are in my future.

Until tomorrow, over and out.

-C.E.