For a man, a good steak is like a black dress for a woman. You can wear it anywhere.
I am a firm believer that when the Almighty created this world, he populated that virgin soil with people and with cows for the munificent purpose of furnishing a fine cut of steak for the thoughtful and artistic eater.
And there is no argument among the cognoscenti that on the seventh day, He made restaurants so that you could have made for you a fine steak that does not besmoke or grease your kitchen, and which tantalizes your tongue and soul.
This was my dogma and my creed until I encountered by chance a method for creating a restaurant style steak with a minimum of fuss and misery, and with a maximum of gluttonous delight. The formula is easy and can be repeated endlessly. You need a raw steak, pepper and salt or a rub of your choice, a pinch of butter, and a durable frying pan.
Before you begin you must select your cut of steak. This method works with all cuts, though I have encountered the most success so far with a rib eye or a filet.
As an aside, I recommend you purchase your steak from your local butcher. However it may be, that venue always produces a finer steak than what you will find at the supermarket.
Once your prey has been procured, you are ready to begin.
First you must stoke the fires. Turn your stove-top burner to 11. Max it out. Make that thing as hot as it gets. Melt your eyebrows if you must. Meantime, jack the inside of your oven on bake up to 550. Stand well clear when you open the door because you want to remain pretty.
Next, season your steak liberally. Not every inch must be covered, but you do not want to toss just a measly pinch upon the reddened flesh. Your goal will be to seal inside the steak the juices that otherwise will rush free. A heavy dose of rub will provide strength and substance to that charred seal.
Next, place your seasoned steak alone upon the pan, and place the pan upon the stove-top flame. Do not add oil if you value your life. If you do, be sure to set a fan on high, open some windows, and prepare for recrimination from your house-mate. But remember our goal – a mess-free steak. Oil adds mess, and little other value to this fine piece of meat.
For two minutes watch the thing sizzle and lightly smoke, then flip and repeat the exercise. Do not allow the steak to sit on either side for longer than two minutes, for after two minutes of intense heat your seal is set and your stove-top purpose is accomplished. Inhale deeply the aroma. You are nearly done.
Pluck the pan from the stove-top with one hand, open the over with the other, and thrust your seared steak within the welcoming maw. Into that heated abyss trust your steaken meal, for this is the master stroke.
Close the door. Reduce the heat to 500, or not. Several times I have reduced the heat, once I did not. The end result was wonderful regardless.
If you have a thick steak, like a filet, allow the steak to cook for around 8 minutes. If the steak is thinner you may prefer a 6 minute cooking time. As every oven is its own animal, for future meals adjust this cooking time to your taste and to the oven’s natural performance.
As the timer sounds, arm yourself with a thick oven mitt. Open the oven door and extract your prize. Your steak is done. Savor your steak. Eat it slowly and well. It will be as restaurant-perfect as you can imagine, juicy and tender. If you are a glutton as I surely am, add a swab of butter to the top of your steak once it is plated. You will not regret that sort of seasoning.
Once last word of warning. In the gauzy haze of post-consumption bliss I have forgotten the heat endured by the frying pan. When cleaning your pan, be sure to wear protection upon your hand, else you will be burned. Once I left the oven mitt upon the pan while I ate. The poor mitt’s insides were smoking when I returned to the pan to clean, but better the mitt than I.
Darren writes on many topics including technology, free people search, social media and social networks.
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