Steaks with Sherried Crab Cream

Steaks with Sherried Crab Cream
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
1 tablespoon sherry wine (not cooking sherry)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless beef steaks (about 1 pound total), cut of choice, see note
1/3 pound (about 6 ounces) pasteurized blue-crab meat, see note
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1. Place the butter in a 2-cup glass measure and microwave uncovered at high until almost melted, about 45 seconds. Meanwhile, separate the eggs yolks into a small dish and set the whites aside for another use. Beat the yolks well with a fork. Remove the butter from the microwave and stir until completely melted.
2. Stir the yolks, cream and sherry into the butter. Microwave the mixture at high, uncovered, for 1 minute and 15 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds with a fork. When done, the sauce will be slightly thick and will register 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (Do not overcook, or the sauce will curdle.) Remove the sauce from the microwave, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
3. To cook the steaks (see note), heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet at medium-high. Add the steaks and begin to cook until they reach the desired degree of doneness, turning halfway through cooking. (In testing, we cooked 4-ounce, 1 1/2-inch-thick tenderloins to medium-rare, 5 to 6 minutes per side.)
4. While the steaks cook, drain the crab meat and add it to the reserved sauce. Add the lemon juice and stir well. When the steaks are almost done, warm the sauce in the microwave, uncovered, at high, for about 1 minute, stirring at 30 seconds. To serve, pour about 2/3 cup sauce over each steak.
Serves four.
Cook's note: We tested this recipe using beef tenderloins, but any cut of steak can be used as long as 4 of them will fit in your pan. The steaks may also be grilled or broiled. Pasteurized blue-crab meat is available from the supermarket seafood department. If it is not available, use canned. Any kind of blue-crab meat, including lump and claw meat, works well.
Nutrition values per serving: 438 calories (66 percent from fat), 32 g fat (15 g saturated), 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 35 g protein, 261 g cholesterol, 332 mg sodium.