Bacon Wrapped Steak and Garlic Bacon Cauliflower

Tonight's secret ingredient is: Bacon! Allez cuisine!

This week, Whole Foods had some grass-fed eye of round steaks available. It's a pretty cheap and lean cut of beef, but delicious none the less. I was a bit concerned though, that if not cooked properly, that it would come out tough and chewy. Lucky for me, I had some thick cut bacon I needed to use and it was perfect to impart flavor and ensure the cut of meat didn't lose too much of its juiciness during cooking.

In addition to the steak, I had a head of cauliflower that I was concerned was reaching its peak of freshness. And feeling a bit lazy, I didn't feel like coming up with anything intricate or crazy - just simple and flavorful. Bacon bonanza!

Let's start with the cauliflower:

Garlic Bacon Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower or 2 cups florets
1 slice thick cut nitrate free uncured bacon
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400º. Prep head of cauliflower by cleaning and cutting into florets. Toss florets with minced garlic and olive oil in a baking dish and spread evenly in one layer. Toss slice of bacon on top. The bacon fat will drip to the bottom of the dish and infuse the cauliflower with flavor.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

If you'd like, finish cooking bacon in a pan, crumble or chop and sprinkle over top of your cauliflower dish.

Searing...

Bacon Wrapped Steak
1 3-4 oz eye of round (you can also use filet)
1 slice thick cut nitrate free uncured bacon
1 tbsp olive oil

Let uncooked steak come to room temperature by letting it sit for at least half an hour before cooking. Doing so will ensure that it cooks evenly and properly.

Wrap your steak in bacon and secure with a toothpick or skewer.

Finished in oven

Preheat olive oil in small oven safe pan over medium high heat. When the pan has come to temperature, sear steak for 45 seconds to a minute. Flip, repeat. Once both sides are nicely browned, let it finish in your preheated 400º oven. Let it pan roast for 4-8 minutes, depending on thickness and your preference of doneness. I always like to sear and finish my steaks in the oven, but if you prefer grilling, make sure the heat is very high to get a good sear, and that you have a less hot area on the grill where you can finish your steak.

Medium on the outside,
medium rare on the inside. Yum.

I would recommend cooking no more than medium since it is such a lean cut of beef and overcooking could make it very tough. I left mine in the oven for approximately 5 minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven when done, and let the steak sit for about 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute.

Don't you like to scream?