Bifteck Haché - Testing

 https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/French-Style-Chopped-Beef/

1 - The first serving was really just fine. I followed the recipe and it worked, but something was missing. It was, well, ground meat, and the wine sauce was fatty enough that it didn't provide a counterpoint to the earthiness of the meat. Next day, I still had two patties left, and I decided to add cheese. I opted for Cambozola and it worked! The tang of the wine was coaxed out by the blue flavor of the cheese, and it balanced the unctuous flavor of the ground beef patties. HOWEVER, I reheated the sauce in a very hot pan and it totally separated. To note, for any re-heating I'll have to do in future.

2 - An inconclusive second attempt. It may just be that I wasn't into cooking at all. There was almost no sauce, how did that happen? I only used about 2Tbsps total of the butter. Was that it? I only removed the thyme leaves, I didn't chop them, and I felt like I couldn't really taste it. Chopped may make the difference. And what the hell is "a small sprig", anyway?!? Quantify people, quantify!

I think I'm understanding the butter. Conceivably I could cook the onion in 4 Tbsps, when done drain the butter from the pan and reserve, use 1 Tbsp of that reserved butter to cook the patties, then use the remainder plus any more needed for the sauce. That sounds more reasonable (and high fat).

4+ Tbsps butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 1⁄2 lb ground beef or chuck
Leaves from 1 small sprig fresh thyme, chopped (how many tsps?!?)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (how much?!?)
1⁄2 cup flour

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

For the Sauce
1⁄2 cup red wine
Leaves from 6 sprigs parsley, chopped

Cambozola cheese

1. Cook the onions in 4 Tbsps of the butter in a skillet over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside about 2-3 Tbsps of the onion (for the sauce) and put the rest in a large bowl to cool. Drain any excess butter from the pan, leaving only 1 Tbsp to cook the patties. Measure out this melted butter and add as much fresh butter to the reserved bowl to equal 4 Tbsps to make the sauce, later.
2. To the large bowl, after a few minutes, add the meat, thyme, egg, and salt and pepper and mix until well combined (you can use a wooden spoon but I use my hands). 
3. Divide the mix into 6 equal parts and shape each into a 3 1⁄2" patty. 
4. Dredge the patties in the flour, shaking off any excess, and set aside.
5. Heat the oil and 1 Tbsp of the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and sear until well browned on both sides, turning once, 2-3 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer the patties to a warm platter and loosely cover with foil.

The Sauce

1. Keep 1 Tbsp of fat in the skillet and drain away the rest. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the reserved onion and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to brown (if it hasn't already). 
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine, scraping up the yummy browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Reduced the wine by three-quarters (about 2 minutes). 
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the reserved melted butter from the onion, 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sauce is thick and velvety, about 1 minute. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. To plate, place a slice of Cambozola on top of each patty and spoon the hot sauce over all.

NOTE on reheating - if you have any leftovers, place a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of butter and fry the patties, turning frequently, until heated through. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool a little before putting in the cold sauce. Reheat gently while whisking constantly to avoid the wine from curdling. Spoon over the cheezy patties as before.