Steaks with Bacon and Mushroom Gravy

This isn't just steaks with gravy. Or steaks with mushroom gravy. It's steaks with BACON-mushroom gravy. All that flavor piled on juicy, pan-seared steaks. It's one of those dishes that sort of takes your breath away.

Few things push all the buttons like a hearty steak dinner. And I ADORE serving my boys juicy steaks because, 1. I know they will love it, and 2. They're teenagers and they need all those hefty nutrients. That said, I am NOT a teenager, and I still cherish this dish. My steak might be a little smaller, that's all. Or, I have leftovers for Steak Fried Rice the next day...

Note that you add cooked bacon to the gravy. You can quickly cook up the strips in a skillet or on a griddle OR, you can arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast them at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bacon is chewy-crisp (I prefer the oven method for easy cleanup!).

For perfectly cooked steaks, remove them from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Oh, and feel free to flip your steaks as often as you want - the myth that "flipping once ensures even cooking" simply isn't true. Flipping multiple times actually promotes even moisture distribution and, thus, even cooking.

Steaks with Bacon and Mushroom Gravy

For the gravy:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 cups beef stock or beef broth
2 strips bacon, cooked until chewy-crisp and chopped
For the steaks:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 steaks of choice, such as strip, New York or sirloin
Salt and ground black pepper
Fresh thyme sprigs for serving, optional

To make the gravy, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbly, whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic, and onion. Add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you prepare the steaks (about 10 minutes).
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper and add them to the hot skillet. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until you ALMOST reach your desired level of doneness. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes - the internal temperature of the steaks will continue to rise after you remove them from the heat; that's why you stop cooking before you reach your preferred doneness.
Add the bacon to the gravy and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the steaks with the gravy spooned over top. Garnish with thyme sprigs if desired.

Serves 4