Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Perfect Steak


I don't want to turn into some Super Domestic Cooking Goddess, but I think I am turning into her to some extent. And because I'm sooo proud of myself, I have to share my recipe for the perfect oven cooked steak. I've been experimenting, and well...we're finally not wasting $30 on steaks!

I'm perfectly content with pork chops and chicken. For the most part, to me, food is just a means of survival. But living with two young men - my 12 year old son and my husband (using young loosely here) - has forced me to go over and beyond spaghetti, fried pork chops, and fried chicken.

Enter steak.

Bear loves to grill, but I'm not trying to fire up the pit, like, ever - but sometimes I want to cook steak. So I've learned the art of cooking a steak on the stove. Here's my recipe:

2 quality cut steaks (rib eye, T-Bone, NY Strip)
Vegetable oil
Butter/margarine
Course Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Fajita seasoning
Sliced Mushrooms

The secret to cooking a steak on the stove is a super hot, almost smoking, cast iron skillet.

1. Coat the steaks in a thin layer of oil.

2. Season the steaks with the course salt, pepper, garlic salt, and a liiitle fajita seasoning (this is not a powder; it comes in a shaker). I get kind of liberal with the salt and pepper, but not crazy.
3. Drop about a tablespoon or two of oil into a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

4. When the grease is popping like fish grease, drop the steaks in the skillet. Make sure that the steaks are not overlapping and that the heat is fully under the steaks. You may have to cook one at a time.

5. Cook on both sides for 2 minutes.

6. Set steaks aside for up to 5 minutes.

7. Drop a container of sliced mushrooms into the skillet. Turn down the heat to medium. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter the center of the pan and let it melt and cascade under the mushrooms. Try not to overlap the mushrooms.

8. Turn mushrooms over after 2-3 minutes on each side.

9. Drop the mushrooms and a few pats of butter over the steaks.

10. Cover and Cook at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Love it!

Moral of the post: Cook like this for a man only when you KNOW he's going to put a ring on it -- or if you want him to put a ring on it!

Ladies: if you aren't already married to the man or actually engaged to him (nothing less than a ring + date = engaged) then you have to be careful to cook meals like this only eeevery now and then. These are just "teasers" for a man to see what kind of cook you'll be if he marries you. Boyfriends and baby daddies don't get this but once or twice a year, for the first 2 years only.

3 comments:

  1. LOL....you got that right, only men I ever cooked for were the two I married. No cooking for cats you just kicking it with, they won't leave.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Is this recipe for a well done steak (no red throughout)?

    ReplyDelete

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