Beef and Greek Style Pilaf

We're eating lots of beef this week. My next grocery delivery comes on Tuesday, and I'm finishing much of what's in the fridge/freezer. For example, I have steaks to finish. They were the inspiration for last night's main dish, which was meant to be Boeuf Bourgignon (sort of). Since I really didn't feel like taking hours to cook the beef, and also had no mushrooms, this was a cannibalization of recipes, but I did like Craig Claiborne's Greek Style Pilaf.

First, for the beef, I cut steaks into strips (about 3 pounds' worth). I melted 1/2 stick butter in the bottom of the broiler, and cooked an onion, cut into half slices, in the butter until it was soft. I then placed the beef in the onion, and peppered it liberally, and broiled for 2 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, I made a gravy consisting of 1 cup beef bouillon, 1 cup burgundy wine, and 1/4 cup water whisked with 1/4 cup cornstarch, which was whisked into the bouillon/wine mix after it was hot. I poured this over the beef strips, and put it back under the broiler for one minute to combine flavors. It was served over the Greek Style Pilaf from Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cookbook. Since Peter M. is out of town, I don't feel bad about repeating this recipe, at which he might well scoff, "What does a New Yorker with an Anglo-Saxon sounding name know about Greek food?" The rice was pretty good nonetheless; it had a rather nutty flavor. Warning: this will not be low calorie, so don't say I didn't warn you to watch the diet....OK, ignore the warning. Life's too short to eat low-cal rice cakes alone.

GREEK STYLE PILAF

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 cups rice
4 cups beef or chicken bouillon
salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a pan, and saute the rice in it until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the bouillon and cook 20 to 25 minutes, covered, without stirring, until all the water is absorbed. Stir to fluff, add salt & pepper to taste, and serve.