Creamy Parmesan Risotto With Seared Beef Medallions: A Restaurant Dinner at Your Own Table

Some nights call for something special.

An anniversary. A birthday. A quiet Saturday when the two of you finally have the house to yourselves. On those nights, I set the table with the good plates and make this: a bowl of creamy Parmesan risotto and a couple of beef medallions seared until dark and crusty.

Why Risotto and Steak Belong Together

There is a reason restaurants love this pairing. The risotto is soft, rich and gently cheesy, and the beef is bold, savory and juicy. Each bite of steak dragged through a spoonful of risotto tastes like something you would pay a lot of money for.

Many home cooks are a little afraid of risotto. They have heard you must stand at the stove stirring for an hour. The truth is much kinder. A good risotto takes about 20 minutes of gentle stirring, a ladle of warm broth at a time. It is almost relaxing.

The secret to that creaminess is not cream at all. It comes from the special short-grain rice, which releases its starch as you stir, and from a final handful of Parmesan and a knob of butter beaten in at the end. Italians call this last step "mantecare," and it makes the risotto glossy and loose, flowing gently across the plate.

The beef medallions are the easy part. Thick rounds of tenderloin need only salt, pepper and a very hot pan. Four minutes per side, a short rest, and they are perfectly pink in the middle.

Ready to make a little restaurant magic at home? Let's look at the ingredients.