Hangry waits for no one. Especially not Kendra Vaculin, our associate food editor. In Speedy Does It, her monthly column, she's sharing whoa-worthy dinners you can get on the table like *snaps fingers* that.
My hottest food take, which has caused no fewer than two of my coworkers to audibly gasp, is that I would eat just about anything before I’d eat a steak. Smashburgers are a summer miracle, sukiyaki smells like childhood birthdays, but a rib-eye or porterhouse? Absolutely miss me. In my opinion, it’s just too much—overly indulgent and not inexpensive, bulldozing everything else on the table. When you’re having steak for dinner, the rest almost doesn’t matter.
Which is a bummer, because “the rest” is my favorite part of any meal. The few times I’ve been to a steakhouse, I’ve gone in thinking I’d treat the experience the way I do barbecue or Thanksgiving—that is, making a plate that’s heavy on the sides. But steakhouse sides throw a wrench in this plan by being famously overlooked. Even the greens, which I usually adore in any style, fall short: There between the limp potato wedges and soupy mushrooms, a dreaded tureen of creamed spinach.
Most creamed spinach I’ve tried is somehow stringy and gloopy at the same time, relatively flavorless and weighed down with too much dairy (didn’t think it was possible). But the dish can be great, if you address each aspect that’s holding it back. Here’s how I take creamed spinach from forgotten side to star of the show:
Chop the greens.
Any textural unpleasantness is often the result of the greens being kept quite large and cooked beyond recognition. Avoid the tangly mess by chopping the spinach after blanching (or once thawed from frozen). You’ll still get a bunch of greens in every bite, and it’ll be much easier to eat. And if you don’t have spinach but do have another leafy green, like rainbow chard or Tuscan kale? That would be great here too.
Skip the cheese.
For richness, stick to heavy cream. No heaps of grated cheese, no cream cheese, no crème fraîche, no mascarpone. You don’t need the added thickness that these ingredients provide, or the extra tang that just feels out of place. With cream, the dish will still feel special, and you won’t want to stop eating after two bites.
Add curry paste.
Garlic or shallots, common additions to creamed spinach, are not going to take you far enough, especially after cream tempers their allium bite. You need a heavy hitter, and ideally one that doesn’t require a ton of prep. Enter: jarred curry paste. Deeply aromatic—thanks to lemongrass, galangal, chiles, and more—this pantry staple turns a lackluster side undeniable. I like green for the color it tints the cream, but red or massaman work too. Simply add a few tablespoons to your roux. The result is just punchy enough to carry whatever you serve it with. I think nothing goes with a heaping spoonful like seared salmon and fluffy rice for a weeknight bowl. But if you decide your creamed spinach has to be an accompaniment for steak, well, I guess I’ll just avert my eyes.
