In 1885 the 37 year old merchant and tavern owner Spyros Metaxas along with his brother Elias take the immense decision of opening a factory that would produce brandy in Greece. With a capital of 100.000 drachmas (about 300 euros) and the determination to create a masterpiece of taste, the two brothers settle in Piraeus port and begin the building of the factory.
During excavations, they discover an ancient coin that becomes the trademark of the newly born company. Another one brother Alexander joins the company and the three of them start producing a fine scented brandy. Its quality and flavor were so good that soon became a staple of the aristocracy and further of the royal palace. Soon the brothers became the official suppliers of brandy for the royal court of George A’.
Soon after, Spyros Metaxas foresees the necessity of expansion abroad and the first exports take place in Russian and Turkish market. All Greeks, who lived in these two countries, embraced Metaxa brandy with great enthusiasm. Although, it is a brandy, its creators have decided that they wouldn’t name it either cognac or brandy but “Gnision Metaxa” which means “original Metaxa” so as to create a category of its own and to avoid to come to direct conflict with all the established brands of that period.
In 1909 Metaxa brandy arrived in the US and was welcomed with open arms by the Greek community. It was such a big success that, the exports in the States proved to be the largest and most profitable among the rest of the foreign markets. That same year Spyros, the founder of the company, suddenly passed away and a few years after the second brother followed the same fate. The two widows assume the management and along with the next generation continue the successful course of the company.
Although, prohibition during the ‘20s, the defeat of Greeks from the Turks and the subsequent Asia Minor land loss and the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 heated hard the company and its sales, they managed to survive because they have already introduced their products to other markets such as that of Africa, India, Persia and Australia.
After 100 years of successful operation and after having dealt with wars, prohibitions and internal problems among the heirs of those who started the company and the ones left out of it, the company was sold to Grand Metropolitan, a multinational company, in 1989.
For many years, Metaxa was a trademarked brandy that has won many international competitions and all Greeks consumed it with pride.
Although nowadays the company is no longer Greek, I continue to buy this exquisite brandy. This time I have used it for making the sauce of the steak. You cannot imagine how delicious that was. Juicy, tender steak and on top the sauce with mushrooms and Metaxa brandy!
- 4 steaks without the bone, about 2 cm/ 1 in. thick
- ½ cup Metaxa brandy
- 1 cup beef stock
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 35 gr. / 1 oz. dried Bolete mushrooms (shiitake belong to this family)
- 2 tbsp butter, divided
- Olive oil for sautéing
- Peppercorns
- 3 -4 leaves of sage
- Salt and pepper
- Brush, salt and pepper the steaks and put them aside.
- In a bowl add the mushrooms along with some hot water and let them rest for 15 minutes.
- In a skillet in medium heat add couple of tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter and sauté the onions, garlic and drained mushrooms until fragrant about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the Metaxa brandy and continue to sauté until it decreases to half.
- I put some fire on it and flambé it.
- Add the beef stock and the sage leaves.
- Cook for about 5 minutes or until the stock has lost about ⅓ of its volume.
- Pour the heavy cream and the peppercorns and lower the heat to low.
- Simmer until all the liquid from the cream has evaporated and the sauce has thickened.
- In the end add the last 1 tbsp of butter and incorporate to the sauce.
- In the meantime, sauté the steaks or bbq them up to your liking.
- I have an outdoors bbq and grilled them for 4 minutes per side.
- Let them rest for 10 minutes and pour the sauce on top of them.
- 4 μπριζόλες, περίπου με 2 cm πάχος
- ½ φλ. κονιάκ
- 1 φλ. ζωμό βοδινού
- 200 ml κρέμα γάλακτος
- 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 μικρή σκελίδα σκόρδο, λιωμένη
- 35 γρ. αποξηραμένα μανιτάρια Bolete (τα shiitake ανήκουν σε αυτή την οικογένεια)
- 2 κ.σ. βούτυρο
- Ελαιόλαδο για το σοτάρισμα
- Κόκκους πιπεριού
- 3 -4 φύλλα φασκόμηλο
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- Αλείψτε με λάδι και αλατοπιπερώστε τις μπριζόλες και βάλτε τις στην άκρη.
- Σε ένα μπολ προσθέστε τα μανιτάρια μαζί με λίγο ζεστό νερό και αφήστε τα για 15 λεπτά.
- Σε ένα τηγάνι σε μέτρια φωτιά προσθέστε μερικές κουταλιές ελαιόλαδο και 1 κουταλιά της σούπας βούτυρο και σοτάρετε τα κρεμμύδια, το σκόρδο και τα μανιτάρια, αφού τα έχτε στραγγίσει, μέχρι να μαλακώσουν 3 έως 4 λεπτά.
- Προσθέστε το μπράντι και συνεχίστε να σοτάρετε μέχρι να μειωθεί στο μισό.
- Ρίξτε το ζωμό και το φασκόμηλο και αφήστε να βράσουν για περίπουν 5 λεπτά ή μέχρι ο ζωμός να μειωθεί κατά ⅓.
- Προσθέστε την κρέμα γάλακτος και τους κόκκους πιπεριού και χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο χαμηλό.
- Σιγοβράστε μέχρι να εξατμιστούν όλα τα υγρά από την κρέμα και να πήξει η σάλτσα.
- Στο τέλος προσθέστε και τη 1 κ.σ. βούτυρο για να γίνει η σάλτσα σας πιο γυαλιστερή.
- Εν τω μεταξύ, ψήστε τις μπριζόλες ή σε ένα τηγάνι ή στο bbq ανάλογα με τις προτιμήσεις σας.
- Έχω μια μικρή ψησταριά και τις έψησα για 4 λεπτά ανά πλευρά.
- Αφήστε να ξεκουραστούν για 10 λεπτά και ρίξτε τη σάλτσα από πάνω.
