Steak Me Out Tonight

I am persuaded that red meat is the bovine, porcine, ovine, (and...shudder...equine) world's gift to mankind: it's a good source of iron, and when you can splurge on a hunk of grass-fed cow, there is nothing in this world more buttery or delectable.

That's why I'm devoting this entire post to steak!  I've got photos aplenty, tips to prepare your steak for maximum tastebud pleasure, and two different methods of cooking up a divine medium-rare steak.

Look at that visceral goodness!  Vegetarian haterz be hatin.

It is suggested that one should consume no more than 18 oz of red meat--pork, lamb, or beef--during the week, and since I'm a petite woman on a budget, I usually just buy a good-looking 12oz (.75 pound) ribeye, cut it into four 3oz servings, and treat myself to romantic, candlelit, one-woman dinners all week long.  #Winning.

I like to buy a steak with good marbling and no major chunks of fat, and when I'm feeling really frisky (read: wealthy) I'll buy it from the farmer's market.  Otherwise, you can get a good cut from the butcher counter at your local grocery store, or a budget cut (more fatty, but also more reasonably priced) from the refrigerated, pre-packaged red meat section.  Usually the more you pay for a steak the better it is, but for those of you along the Gulf Coast with access to Rouse's, just know that I buy pre-packaged ribeyes from there for about $11 each and that feeds me all week.  Just sayin.  #WinningAgain.

The first method of cooking steak is on the stovetop, and the other is oven-broiled.  For both, I use only four ingredients: steak, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

STOVETOP: I like to let my steak sit at room temperature while the pan is heating up; it shouldn't EVER actually reach room temperature, and apparently this step is totally unnecessary, but it makes me personally feel better about it cooking more evenly.  It's like making tea; it's about the ceremony.  To each her own.

I heat up a little olive oil in a skillet and pat my steak dry to remove any condensation from the fridge.  Some folks salt their steaks heavily, but I haven't stepped up to the plate yet on that one.  Maybe next time.

Onto the raw steak I sprinkle salt and pepper and press it into the flesh so that it sticks while cooking.  I cook it a couple of minutes on one side, then flip it with tongs, NOT any kind of stabby tool (carving fork, knife, etc)--all the juices that would consequently leak out are exactly what I want to stay IN the steak.

When cooking on the stovetop, I like to start with high heat to sear the steak on both sides, then reduce the temperature and do a little jig while my kitchen fills with the smell of steak and that red pulpy mass turns into a finely crusted masterpiece before my eyes.  I like my steak medium rare, so I use the finger test to determine its doneness.  Some use a meat thermometer, but I just see that as another stabby tool tryna steal all the juices from my steak.

Just say NO to stabby tools!  

OVEN: Cooking a steak in the oven is quite possibly one of the easiest things I've ever done, but my broiler produces a lot of smoke, so it can be an unnerving experience.

I turn the broiler on high and put a cast iron skillet (the same hillbilly appliance I used in my panini-making days) in the oven to heat up.  I also turn one of the burners on high while I brush my steak on all sides with olive oil and once again press salt and pepper into the flesh.  In the meantime, I carefully take the HOT cast iron skillet and place it on the hot eye, then I sear my steak for 30 seconds on one side, flip with tongs or a spatula, and sear for 30 seconds on the other side.  Then I carefully put the skillet back in the oven and broil my steak for 1 minute, then flip and broil on the other side for 1 minute.

What was that, like, 5 minutes of cook time?  Of course, this yields a spectacularly medium-rare steak, so if you want yours more done (sacrilege!), you can adjust the cook time accordingly.

Please ignore the giant chunk of fat; this is quite possibly the worst picture I've ever taken.  Also ignore the pillow in the background; let's just pretend I have a table to eat at, shall we?  

In the meantime, I'm cooking veggies!  (You didn't think I could eat JUST meat, did you?  Well, I certainly could--in fact, I just had steak by itself for breakfast--but the veggies make the pictures so much more interesting!)  For this meal in particular I had sides of steamed green beans with lemon and pepper, and--one of my personal favorites--citrus Brussels sprouts.

For the Brussels sprouts: I cut them all in half and place them cut side down in a skillet heated with a little olive oil and a liberal sprinkle of salt and pepper; this allows them to sear lightly and develop a rich-flavored crust.  To cook them fully, I add liquid of any kind--this time it was a mixture of vegetable broth and blood orange juice, but I've also done beef broth with pesto, orange juice with red wine or a little whiskey...the possibilities are endless!--and let them simmer in it until they've turned dark green and yield slightly to the touch.

Brussels sprouts also pair perfectly with bacon; try cooking your bacon, searing your sprouts in the bacon fat,  letting them simmer in a red wine-orange juice combo, and sprinkling them with chopped bacon.  You can thank me later.  

The timeline for this meal looks a little like this:  I start the Brussels sprouts and green beans (steamed in my rice cooker) first, and when they're 5-7 minutes away from being done, I start the steak.  This lets everything finish in approximately the same time, which yields a meal that is positively applause-worthy.

Case in point.