pan seared chuck shoulder steak with garlic-mashed red potatoes and roasted fennel

pan seared chuck shoulder steak with garlic-mashed red potatoes and roasted fennel, originally uploaded by aarn! +5th January, 2011+.

sliced a fennel bulb in half and sprinkled some salt and pepper onto the cut sides. put the two sides back together, wrapped the bulb in aluminum foil, and placed in the back of a 375-degree oven for about 40-minutes (or until fork tender).

washed and quartered five small red potatoes. tossed the potatoes in some olive oil, salt and pepper, and placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet on the bottom rack of the 375-degree oven until brown, then turned and baked until fork tender. mashed the potatoes with 1.5T. butter, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 2-3T. heavy cream, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. whipped with a spatula until smooth.

brought a 1-lb beef chuck "london broil" shoulder steak up to room temperature and sprinkled both sides with salt and pepper. heated a 10-in skillet with a little olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. placed the chuck steak into the hot skillet and cooked for about three minutes, then flipped the steak and put the skillet into the 375-degree oven for another three minutes or so. pulled the skillet and put the meat on a cutting board to rest for about 5-min, then sliced thin, plated over the mashed potatoes and sliced fennel bulb and garnished with some fresh thyme.