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Make this juicy, pan seared coulotte steak recipe in 30 minutes! Served with a simple mushroom sauce, this one pan dinner is an easy weeknight dinner that tastes like something you’d get at a high-end restaurant.
I love coulotte steak dished up over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes or served with a side of garlic parmesan roasted potatoes.
This easy coulotte steak is so tender and packed with tons of flavor. Pan-searing the meat forms a crust that locks in the juices, then the steak is basted in melted butter with fresh herbs and garlic until cooked to medium rare. The end result is dinnertime perfection. This is one of those dinners that feels fancy, but it’s so simple to pull off.
The best part? Your coulotte steak and sauce is prepared all in one pan and ready in about 30 minutes from sear to finish. I promise you’re going to really like this recipe!
Why I Love This Coulotte Steak Recipe
- Basic ingredients. This recipe uses simple ingredients to make a luxurious steak dinner that’s totally restaurant-worthy. Apart from the steak and mushrooms, all you really need is salt and pepper to season it, plus some fresh herbs and butter.
- Quick to make. One pan and about 30 minutes are all you need to make this succulent seared steak smothered in a rich homemade mushroom sauce.
- The sauce is so, so good. Speaking of mushroom sauce: prepare to be blown away by the flavors in this silky, buttery wine and mushroom sauce. It’s like a decadent mushroom gravy. You’ll never want to serve steak without it!
What Is Coulotte Steak?
Also known as a “cap” steak, beef coulotte is tender and flavorful while being on the leaner side. Coulotte steak doesn’t require hours of cooking to become tender, making it my cut of choice for easy steak dinners.
You’ll likely need to go to your local butcher shop to find this cut of meat. In the US, butchers also call this cut of meat picanha, fat cap, rump cap, or top sirloin cap.
Coulotte is cut from the best section of the “top sirloin” and is shaped like NY strip steak. However, it is less expensive than a strip steak. This makes it a great option for a fancy steak dinner that won’t break the bank!
What You’ll Need
The beauty of this coulotte steak recipe is in its easy-to-find ingredients. Below is an overview of what you’ll need, with some added notes. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredient list.
For the coulotte steak:
- Coulotte Steak – You can buy a whole beef coulotte and portion it into six fillets, or buy the steaks already cut. Ask your local butcher for guidance. Before you start, take the beef out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature so that it’ll cook evenly.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Essential for enhancing all the flavors of the steak and mushrooms.
- Oil – I use avocado oil, but another good-quality oil with a high smoke point will also work.
- Butter – Basting the steak in melted butter with herbs locks in the flavors while it cooks.
- Fresh Garlic – You will need two whole cloves of garlic for this recipe.
- Fresh rosemary – Fresh herbs complement the steak and sauce.
For the mushroom sauce:
- Steak Drippings – You’ll use the drippings, garlic, and rosemary leftover from cooking the steak as the base for your sauce.
- Butter – Adds richness and depth of flavor and helps the mushrooms develop a golden-brown color.
- Mushrooms – You can use any mushroom variety you’d like. I make this recipe with sliced cremini mushrooms.
- Salt and Pepper – Simple seasoning to enhance the flavors.
- Red Wine – I find that a dry, bold red, like chianti, is best in mushroom sauce for steak. However, the wine you choose is up to you. For a lighter sauce, try a shiraz, or use an oaky cabernet sauvignon for a more earthy flavor.
How To Cook Coulotte Steak
If you’ve ever watched a cooking show where the chef is spooning melted butter over steak in a hot pan, that’s called basting. And it’s the key to locking in moisture and flavor in this coulotte steak recipe! As an added bonus, you don’t need to be a professional chef to do it.
Cook The Steak
- Sear the steak. First, season the steaks on all sides with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Get your skillet nice and hot, then heat the oil and add the steaks. Sear for 4 minutes, then flip.
- Add butter and herbs. Next, add butter to the pan to melt, along with fresh garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs.
- Baste. Tilt the skillet to gather the melted butter and juices, then spoon these over the steak while it continues to cook, about 6 minutes. Flip, then baste again while the steak cooks for another 2 minutes or so.
- Check the temperature. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature at the thickest part of the fillet. If it’s below 120ºF, continue cooking and basting until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 130-135ºF.
- Rest the steak. Once the steak reaches the right temperature, remove the fillets from the pan and leave them to rest for 5-10 minutes. Resting is key to redistributing the juices for a succulent, tender steak. It also leaves you with just enough time to prepare your mushroom sauce.
Make The Mushroom Sauce
See all those drippings, juices, and herbs left over in the pan? Leave them right where they are. We’re about to turn them into the most mouthwatering mushroom sauce for your steak.
- Heat the pan. With the drippings, garlic, and rosemary still in the pan, heat the skillet again and melt in the butter.
- Add mushrooms. Next, toss in your mushrooms and give them a light seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook down the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, until caramelized and golden.
- Add wine. Pour in the red wine and continue to cook the sauce while it evaporates. Finally, pluck out the rosemary and garlic, and your sauce is ready to serve.
- Dig in! To serve, spoon the finished sauce over the top of your coulotte steak. You can also dice up the fillets and serve them covered with sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your pan is hot enough. You don’t need to cook coulotte steak for long, but the key is to have your pan preheated beforehand. A quick sear for a few minutes per side is all it takes.
- Go by temperature. Keep in mind that the exact cooking times may vary depending on the cut and thickness of your steaks. The best way to tell if your meat is done is to check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. (See list below.)
- Use a cast-iron pan for best results. I love my cast-iron skillet, and it’s perfect for one-pan recipes like this coulotte steak with mushroom sauce.
- Try different herbs. Experiment with different herbs like thyme, shallot, whole peppercorns, etc., when basting the steak.
Steak Doneness Temperatures
I prefer my steak on the rarer side of medium-rare, as I find it has the best tenderness and flavor. However, feel free to cook your meat to taste. It will be delicious no matter what!
- 160˚F – Well done. Little to no pink in the center of your steak.
- 125˚F – Rare. Center of the steak will be red and cool to the touch.
- 135˚F – Medium rare. The center will be red and warm to the touch.
- 145˚F – Medium. A warm pink center.
- 150˚F – Medium well. The center of your steak will be slightly pink.
Serving Suggestions
I serve coulotte steak with mashed potatoes and a side of air fryer broccoli. It’s a stick-to-your-ribs dinner that’s easy to make on weeknights. Roasted veggies like honey garlic butter carrots or roasted parsnips would also be a winning combo. Add a crusty slice of bread or some dinner rolls on the side to sop up extra mushroom sauce!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Fridge: Store any leftover coulotte steak and mushroom sauce together or in separate containers. Both can be kept airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Warm the steak in a skillet until heated through. Leftover sauce, if stored separately, can be warmed in a skillet too, or in the microwave.
- Can I freeze it? Yes, the steak and mushroom sauce both freeze well. I like to freeze the cooked and cooled meat and sauce altogether to help preserve the flavor and moisture on the reheat. Thaw the steak in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.
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Coulotte Steak with Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
For the coulotte steak
- 2½ pounds coulotte steak, sliced into 6 fillets. Steak should be at room temperature before cooking.
- 2½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, for cooking
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
For the mushroom sauce
- the drippings, garlic, and rosemary, from cooking the steak
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup red wine
Instructions
For the coulotte steak
- Prep the steak. Season the steak on all sides with sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Prep the skillet. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Add the avocado oil to the skillet and allow it to heat up for 30 seconds.
- Cook the steak and aromatics. Arrange the steak fillets in the pan and sear for 4 minutes. Flip the fillets. Add butter, garlic, and rosemary to the skillet and allow the butter to melt (this should take about 20 seconds).
- Baste. Tilt the skillet to gather all of the cooking juices and melted butter to one side and begin spooning the mixture over the steak (also known as basting).
- Cook and baste. Continue to cook for 6 minutes, continually basting. Flip again and cook for an additional 2 minutes, continually basting.
- Check for doneness. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the largest fillet. You are looking for 120-130˚F for a medium-rare steak. Continue to cook if the temperature is below 120˚F.
- Let it rest. Once the steak has reached the proper internal temperature, transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes while you make the mushroom sauce.
- Note. Do not discard the drippings, garlic, and rosemary from the skillet. They will be used in the sauce.
For the mushroom sauce
- Prep the skillet. Heat the skillet (with all of the drippings, garlic, and rosemary) to medium-high heat and melt the butter.
- Cook the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms cook down to a golden brown.
- Add wine. Pour the wine into the pan and continue to cook until it evaporates. Discard the rosemary and garlic.
- To serve. Transfer the steak to a serving platter and spoon the mushroom sauce over the fillets. Alternatively, you can cut the filets into 2-inch cubes and cover them in sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
What is a “Coulot” steak?
I’ve never heard of it.
Looks yummy. But how thick are e steaks?
Hi!
Each fillet would typically be about 1 inch thick.
Iโve never heard or seen anything in the Market called coulotte steak. Does it go under another name?
Hi!
Coulotte steak is also known as a ‘cap’ steak, picanha, fat cap, rump cap, or top sirloin cap.