Let them eat steak!- An Omaholiday Giveaway!

This is the time of year when thoughts go to Christmas cookies, and glistening hams and roasted turkeys or maybe even a goose the shade of one of the Real Housewives of Orange County. But here is something designed to help you escape the monotony of leftovers during the holidays- a $50 giveaway from Omaha Steaks. If you are not familiar with Omaha Steaks, they are a large company specializing in the processing and delivery of prime steaks, meats and other gourmet foods. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska (imagine that) Omaha Steaks has many retail outlets as well as shipping their high-quality meats all over the world. Their mail-order business has soared with the interest in food as a gift, perfect for those people that you have no idea what to buy for. Like many I have heard of the company, they have been around since 1917, so when they contacted me to see if I would be interested in hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate, I jumped at the chance. As a bonus they sent me a box of filet mignons, so that I could write about their product.

Good meat needs very little in the way of seasoning, the meat should be the star, yet there are ways to complement a good steak, bringing out its flavor. When my filets from Omaha came packed with dry ice, we were looking forward to a great dinner. My steaks benefitted from my recent Julie and Julia experience- I learned that to sear meat you must dry the surface first. I used only some fresh ground pepper and kosher salt and then seared the steaks and cooked them until rare (for me) and medium rare (for my husband). I decided to make tow complementary condiments for my beautiful steaks - one, sauteed mushrooms with port wine and the other, avocado butter. Both of these added a different dimension to the delicious, tender beef.

Mixed Mushrooms with Port - Slice 2 cups assorted mushrooms into fairly uniform pieces (I used hen and chicks and button mushrooms). Melt 2tbsp butter, and saute the mushrooms until just tender, then add a tablespoon each of soy sauce and worcestershire sauce, and then 1-2 tablespoons of port wine. Stir until liquid is reduced by about half. Serve with steak.

Avocado Butter - Mash 1/2 a ripe avocado with 1/2 cup softened butter (since my husband is a diabetic, I use Smart Balance, and it works just as well). Form into a roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Cut slices and serve with your steak- this is amazing- adding a richness that complements the beef perfectly.

So you want to win some steaks of your own to complement with these or other condiments? From now until December 31, do the following to win a $50 gift certificate from Omaha Steaks to create your own memorable meal:
1) Leave me a comment telling me your favorite complement to a great steak
2)Sign up to follow Omaha Steaks on Twitter @Omaha_steaks and ReTweet the contest details using the hashtag #OmahaHoliday.

The winner will be selected at random, and can start the new year with some fabulous beef!