Steak Diane According to the food historians, the true history of Steak Diane is a complicated affair. The answer may be one of semantics rather than straight culinary history. Why? There are as many names for this dish as there are recipe variations. One of the closest variations is Steak au Poivre . The history of cooking and serving meat with spiced sauces dates back to ancient times. Sauces were employed to tenderize cuts and add flavor. Pepper was highly favored by Ancient Roman and Medieval cooks and figured prominently in many recipes. According to the Larousse Gastonomique, Sauce Diane (Diana...aka Artemis...a powerful mythological huntress) is traditionally associated with venison (a tough meat), which makes it a curious choice for the finest beef cuts that are used today for Steak Diane. The description "a la Diane" is given to certain game dishes that are dedicated to the goddess Diana (the huntress). Joints of venison a la Diane are sauted and coated with sauce Diane (a highly peppered sauce with cream and truffles). They are served with chestnut puree and croutons spread with game forcemeat." "Steak Diane was originally a way of serving venison, and its sharp sauce was intended to complement the sweet flavor of deer meat. It was named for Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt, and since Diana was also the moon goddess, the small pieces of toast used to sop up the delicious juices are traditionally cut in crescent shapes." When was Sauce Diane invented? The earliest mention we find of a sauce with this particular name is 1907, from Escoffier: So, when and where did Steak Diane begin? None of the culinary history texts or old cookbooks provide a definitive answer. Based on culinary evidence this is a possible explanation: Steak Diane is an evolution of an ancient dish that was rediscovered in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by European chefs. Interestingly enough, this time period coincides with the popularity of the chafing dish and table cookery [though none of the chafing dish recipes we have from that time period approximate Steak Diane]. These dishes were not called Steak Diane. They were known by several names, most famously "Steak au Poivre." Recipes for sauce Poivre (pepper sauce) Evidence suggests Steak Diane is an American invention of the late 1950s/early 1960s, when French cooking (think Julia Child & the Kennedy White House menus) was all the rage. Rich wine sauces and flamboyant presentation were the norm for many top restaurants. If Steak Diane is an American recipe, then New York City is the most likely place or origin. The earliest recipes we find for Steak Diane were printed in Nickerson's article. Craig Claiborne's Steak Diane (New York Times Cookbook [1961]) is not served flamb. Julia Child's The French Chef Cookbook, [1968] contains a recipe for "Steak au Poivre" with optional flamb. Steak Diane (Colony Restaurant) [1953] 1 to one and one-half tablespoons butter 1/4 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/2 to one teaspoon each finely chopped chives and parsley 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Individual steak of any thickness (one pound with bone, eight to ten ounces without bone and fat) Mix all ingredients except meat in heavy fry pan and when very hot place steak in pan, cooking at very high heat until done. Serve immediately, pouring residue of sauce over meat. ---"Steak Worthy of the Name," Jane Nickerson, The New York Times, January 25, 1953 (p. SM 32) Steak Diane (Colony Restaurant) [1961] single serving 1 ten-ounce sirloin steak 1 1/2 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon cognac, heated 2 tablespoons sherry 1 tablespoon sweet butter 1 teaspoon chopped chives. 1. Trim the meat well and pound very thin with a mallet. 2. Heat one and one-half tablespoons butter in a chafing-dish platter. Add the steak and cook quickly, turning it once. 3. Add the cognac and flame. Add the sherry and the sweet butter creamed with chives. 4. Place the steak on a warm platter and pour the pan juices over it." ---The New York Times Cook Book, Craig Claiborne [Harper & Row: New York] 1961 (p. 91) Matre d'h o tel also refers to a flavored butter or sauce made from butter, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Traditionally the seasonings and parsley are worked into cold butter, and then the lemon juice is added a little at a time. It is typically served on meat or fish.