Flank Steak au Jus

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Trim off and discard the stems of the turnips; peel the bulbs and cut in half lengthwise. Peel all 3 garlic cloves. Smash 2 of the cloves; mince the remaining clove then, using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste. Pick the tarragon leaves off the stems; discard the stems and finely chop the leaves. Remove and discard the core of the cauliflower; cut the head into small florets. Quarter the lemon and remove seeds.

In a small pot, combine the smashed garlic cloves, sugar, 1 cup of water, some pepper and a big pinch of salt. Heat to boiling on high. Place the turnips and red wine vinegar in a heatproof bowl or jar. When the liquid begins to boil, careful pour it over the turnips in vinegar, making sure the turnips are completely submerged. Let stand until ready to use.

Place the cauliflower on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast in the oven, stirring halfway through, 14 to 16 minutes, or until browned. While the cauliflower roasts, in a small bowl, combine the tarragon, Dijon and the juice of 2 lemon wedges. Slowly whisk in 2 teaspoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the cauliflower is finished, remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Drizzle with the mustard mixture and, using tongs or a large spoon, toss to coat.

Pat the steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the seasoned steak and cook, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until it reaches your desired degree of doneness. Transfer the cooked steak to a cutting board and rest for at least 5 minutes. Carefully discard any oil from the pan, leaving the browned bits (or fond) in the pan.

While the steak rests, add the beef demi-glace, ¼ cup of water and any accumulated juices from the resting steak to the pan of browned bits. Using a spoon or whisk, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and simmer on medium-low, stirring occasionally, 1 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, juice of the remaining lemon wedges and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the watercress and as much of the pickled turnips as you’d like (draining before adding) and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste. To plate your dish, find the lines of muscle (or grain) of the steak and thinly slice against the grain. Divide the sliced steak, cauliflower and salad between 2 plates. Top the steak with a spoonful of jus. Enjoy!