Zwiebelrostbraten (Austrian Onion Roast Beef)

Ingredients

• 4 sirloin steaks, about 6 oz each, 1/2 inch thick
• 2 large yellow onions, sliced into thin rings
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for the onions
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp clarified butter or oil
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp cold butter, cubed
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

Before you cook

• Place each steak between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness with a mallet.
• Slice the onions into thin rings and separate them.
• Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

Steps

1. Toss the onion rings in the flour until lightly coated, shaking off the excess.
2. Pour 1 inch of vegetable oil into a deep skillet and heat it to 350°F.
3. Fry the onion rings in batches until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per batch.
4. Lift the onions out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
5. Wipe out the skillet and heat the clarified butter over high heat until it shimmers.
6. Sear the steaks for 90 seconds per side so the outside browns and the center stays pink.
7. Transfer the steaks to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
8. Pour the beef stock into the hot skillet, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
9. Stir in the tomato paste and simmer the sauce for 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
10. Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the cold butter a cube at a time until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
11. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
12. Spoon the sauce onto warm plates and set a steak on top of each pool of sauce.
13. Pile the crisp onion rings over each steak.
14. Scatter chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately.