Steak with Mushroom-Shallot Jus, Roasted Autumn Vegetables & Chocolate-Fig Pudding

Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloin

A hard sear gives the tender beef a savory crust while leaving the center rosy. Resting before slicing keeps the juices in the meat rather than on the cutting board.

Ingredients

• 4 beef tenderloin steaks, 6–7 ounces each and about 1½ inches thick
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ tablespoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives, for finishing

Instructions

1. Season the steaks with salt and refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Pat thoroughly dry before cooking and season with pepper.
2. Heat a heavy oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ghee, then the steaks, leaving space between them. Sear for 2–3 minutes on each broad side, then briefly brown the edges.
3. If needed, finish in a 425°F oven for 3–7 minutes. For a rosy medium-rare center, pull at 125–128°F and rest for 8 minutes; carryover should bring the temperature to approximately 130–135°F.
4. Transfer to a warm plate and reserve the skillet and resting juices for the sauce. Slice the rested steaks across the grain into thick pieces and finish with chives.

Notes

• For USDA-recommended whole-cut beef doneness, cook to 145°F and rest at least 3 minutes; the interior will be less pink.

Mushroom-Shallot Pan Jus

Browned mushrooms and softened shallots build a chunky, savory sauce. A little vinegar and cold butter give the reduced stock brightness and a glossy finish.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 3 medium shallots, cut into chunky dice
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup dry red wine
• 1 cup unsalted gluten-free beef stock
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free tamari
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
• to taste kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. After searing the beef, pour off excess fat, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Add the additional ghee only if the skillet is dry. Remove any blackened, bitter bits while retaining the brown fond.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and their released moisture has evaporated.
3. Add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
4. Add the wine and scrape up the fond. Reduce until nearly evaporated, then add the stock and tamari. Simmer for 4–6 minutes, until lightly syrupy but still pourable.
5. Add the beef resting juices and vinegar. Remove from the heat and swirl in the cold butter. Taste before adding salt and pepper.

Notes

• If the sauce becomes too concentrated, loosen with a splash of water. Keep it flowing rather than reducing it to a thick gravy.

Roasted Red Kuri Squash Wedges

Large wedges retain a soft, custardy center while their exposed surfaces caramelize. The squash supplies sweetness without needing a glaze.

Ingredients

• 1 small red kuri squash, about 2 pounds
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub the squash, halve it, remove the seeds, and cut into four generous wedges.
2. Rub the wedges with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a parchment-lined sheet pan with one cut face down.
3. Roast for 35–45 minutes, turning onto the other cut face halfway through, until browned at the edges and easily pierced through the thickest part.

Notes

• Red kuri skin is edible when tender. If using a squash with a tough rind, leave the rind on for roasting and eat the flesh away from it.

Deeply Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Dry sprouts and a spacious pan produce dark cut surfaces and crisp outer leaves rather than steamed cabbage. A restrained splash of vinegar balances their sweetness.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1–2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Instructions

1. Dry the sprouts thoroughly. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then arrange cut-side down on a large metal sheet pan without crowding.
2. Roast at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, until the cut sides are deep brown and the centers are tender. Rotate the pan as needed; remove loose leaves early if they begin to scorch.
3. Toss with the vinegar just before serving, using enough to brighten the sprouts without making them wet.

Roasted Eggplant

Large chunks develop browned edges while retaining a silky interior. Keeping the eggplant on its own pan makes it easier to cook fully without softening the Brussels sprouts.

Ingredients

• 1 medium globe eggplant, about 1 pound, cut into 1½-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Instructions

1. Toss the eggplant with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
2. Roast at 425°F for 30–35 minutes, turning after 20 minutes, until browned and completely soft inside. A piece should collapse easily when pressed with a fork.
3. Toss gently with the sherry vinegar and serve warm.

Chocolate-Coconut Chia Pudding with Autumn Fruit

Cocoa and coconut make a dark, rich base for juicy figs and tart pomegranate. Dates, coconut flakes, and cacao nibs add chew and crunch without a complicated garnish.

Ingredients

• 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ cup chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 8 ripe fresh figs, thickly sliced
• 2 red-skinned plums, pitted and thinly wedged
• ¾ cup pomegranate arils
• 4 soft Medjool dates, pitted and torn
• ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs

Instructions

1. Whisk the coconut milk, water, cocoa, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth. If the coconut milk is separated, warm it gently first, then let the mixture cool.
2. Whisk in the chia seeds. Let stand for 10 minutes, whisk again thoroughly to break up clumps, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
3. Toast the coconut flakes in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool.
4. Stir the chilled pudding. If it is too stiff to spoon comfortably, add water a tablespoon at a time.
5. Divide among four bowls. Arrange figs and plum wedges over the pudding, then add pomegranate, torn dates, toasted coconut, and cacao nibs in distinct clusters.

Notes

• Use ripe but firm figs so the slices hold their shape. Late-season plums work well here; if unavailable, use crisp apple wedges for a different but seasonally appropriate texture.

Overall Timing / Workflow

Making dessert ahead leaves the final hour for roasting and the skillet work. The vegetables can wait briefly while the steak rests and the jus finishes.

Instructions

1. At least 3 hours ahead: make and refrigerate the pudding. Toast the coconut and store airtight once cool.
2. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 425°F, season the steaks, and prepare all vegetables and sauce ingredients.
3. 0:15 — Put the squash in the oven.
4. 0:25 — Add the eggplant and Brussels sprouts on separate pans, leaving room for air circulation. Rotate pans between racks during roasting.
5. 0:35 — Begin searing the steaks. Finish them in the oven if needed, then set aside to rest.
6. 0:45 — Make the mushroom-shallot jus in the steak skillet while checking the vegetables. Remove each vegetable when tender and browned.
7. 0:55 — Finish the jus with resting juices and butter, slice the beef, and plate the main course.
8. After dinner — Slice the fruit and assemble the chilled dessert bowls.

Notes

• If three vegetable pans will crowd the oven, roast the squash first and hold it loosely covered, then roast the eggplant and sprouts. Rewarm the squash briefly before serving.

Plating

Keeping the vegetables beside, rather than beneath, the sauced beef preserves their roasted texture. Grouped fruit toppings give the dessert clear contrasts in color and bite.

Instructions

1. Place a squash wedge on each warm dinner plate. Add a generous cluster of Brussels sprouts and a smaller portion of eggplant beside it.
2. Fan the sliced beef across the remaining space. Spoon the mushroom-shallot jus over the meat and around its edges, leaving the roasted vegetables mostly unsauced. Scatter with chives.
3. For dessert, use shallow bowls with the pudding centered beneath rows of figs and plum. Place pomegranate along one side and coconut, dates, and cacao nibs along the other.

Leftover Path

Separate storage prevents the vegetables from soaking up the sauce and keeps fruit from watering down the pudding. Gentle reheating protects the beef from becoming tough.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate beef, sauce, and roasted vegetables in separate covered containers within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days.
2. Reheat vegetables in a 400°F oven for 10–15 minutes. Warm the jus gently, thinning with a splash of water as needed.
3. For the best texture, serve leftover steak thinly sliced and cold with warmed vegetables, or warm slices briefly in the sauce without boiling.
4. Keep unassembled pudding refrigerated for up to 4 days. Store fruit separately and add it, the coconut, and cacao nibs just before serving; eat assembled fruit bowls within 1 day.