WHEN IT SIZZLES | High heat produces a steak with a seared, savory crust and a medium-rare interior. James Ransom for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Jamie Kimm, Prop Styling by DSM

EVERY YEAR AT this time, chef Michael Anthony and his wife, along with her sister and brother-in-law, sit down to a hulking côte de boeuf served with airy popovers flavored with the beef's savory pan drippings, a slew of seasonal vegetable side dishes and plenty of good wine. The in-laws, both in the wine business, select the bottles; Mr. Anthony attends to the cooking.

The Chef: Michael Anthony

Michael Anthony Ellen Silverman

His Restaurants: Gramercy Tavern in New York

What He's Known For: A fine-dining take on hyper-seasonal American cuisine. Treating foie gras and fingerling potatoes with equal respect.

Here, a streamlined version of that annual celebratory spread serves as the second of the chef's four Slow Food Fast contributions, just in time for New Year's Eve.

Thick sirloin with a well-caramelized exterior and a pink and juicy interior stands in for the more unwieldy, time-consuming, bone-in côte de boeuf. Served alongside the meat are a quick take on those popovers, a velvety celery root purée and an aromatic cabbage sauté flecked with cumin and caraway seeds. "Simple, but not condescending," Mr. Anthony said, this dish, like the cooking at his Manhattan restaurant, Gramercy Tavern, is "designed to be straightforward so it leaves an indelible mark." In this case, the result is a plate that feels extravagant but not at all fussy.

Easygoing as the preparation is, it does require keeping several parts in motion at once. Precise timing is especially crucial to the success of the popovers, which should be served straight from the oven, as the buoyant beauties deflate quickly once they begin to cool. And when it comes to the sirloin, the pan should be so hot it is beginning to smoke before the meat goes into it—this, Mr. Anthony said, is the key to a proper sear. Once the steaks are cooking, reduce the heat slightly. "You want to maintain a great sizzle," he said, "lively, but in control."

Following Mr. Anthony's blueprint, this banquet for four comes together in just a little over a half hour, which makes it a realistic choice for a weeknight meal as well as a special occasion. This kind of honest home cooking has always
informed how the chef works, even in a fine dining context. He explained, "It is what makes for lasting food memories."

—Kitty Greenwald

Sirloin With Celery Root, Sauteed Cabbage and Popovers

Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4


6 cups milk, room temperature

4 sirloin steaks, each 1½ inches thick (about 2 pounds total)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3 eggs, room temperature

1½ tablespoons melted butter, plus 3 tablespoons unmelted butter


2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 teaspoons grapeseed oil

1 sprig thyme or rosemary

½ head red or Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

2 teaspoons chopped chives

What To Do

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add 2 cups milk to a saucepan and set over high heat. Simmer until reduced by two-thirds, about 20 minutes. Season steaks with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, make popovers: Whisk flour, ¾ teaspoon salt and 1½ cups milk together. Beat in eggs and melted butter. Grease a 9-by-12-inch muffin tin with 1 tablespoon butter. Once oven is at temperature, heat tin 2 minutes. Remove hot tin and fill each cup a little less than halfway with batter. Bake popovers, without opening oven, until puffy and golden, 15-20 minutes.

3. While popovers bake, make celery root purée: In a medium pot set over medium heat, melt ½ tablespoon butter and sweat celery root, shallots and 3 cloves garlic. Once vegetables begin to soften but not brown, after about 3 minutes, cover with milk (about 2½ cups). Increase heat and bring to a boil, then simmer until celery root is fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Strain vegetables and reserve cooking liquid. Transfer vegetables to food processor and purée until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in enough reduced milk to give purée a silky consistency. If need be, thin with reserved cooking liquid, too. Season purée with salt and keep warm.

4. Cook steaks: Add grapeseed oil to a large pan set over high heat. Once oil begins to smoke, carefully lay in steaks. Brown both sides, about 2 minutes per side, and then lower heat slightly to maintain a steady sizzle. Add 1 tablespoon butter, 2 cloves garlic and herb sprig. Continue to cook while basting steaks with butter, garlic and herbs until rare, 1-2 minutes more. Discard herbs and garlic and let meat rest 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, make cabbage: Set steak pan back over high heat. Once hot, add cabbage, cumin and caraway to pan. Season with salt and cook until slightly wilted, 3-5 minutes. Toss cabbage with ½ tablespoon butter and chives. Remove from heat.

6. Distribute steak, purée and cabbage among four plates. Serve with popovers straight from oven.