We are entering the coldest time of the year around the country and for many of us, that means the grill has turned into a snow collector or just a second thought. I for one, love to grill some meat on a nice day in shorts while sipping through about eight Busch lights. Even in Florida though, evenings are dropping down into the 40's which means nobody wants to hang out with me outside (and drinking Busch Light inside with a pasta dinner sometimes garnishes a judging eye). However, I don’t allow this to temper my interest to cook a bloody bovine or only see such beauty in an overpriced steakhouse. So, here’s your solution, and it is one that many chefs swear by in the first place. Get yourself a cast iron pan. You won’t get that nice char-coaled bite and flavor or that hint of propane from you amateurs but it does make for a cleaner and more even controlled cook. It creates a better crust and a more seared effect as well. So, if you’re scared of ruining a 15 dollar rib-eye and turning it into a milk steak in a pan, here are the basics:
Cook your meat at room temperature, which means let it sit for a bit so you’re not cooking a cold steak. Use this 30-45 minutes to season your meat.Season with salt and pepper generously on both sides. I know there are fancy steak seasonings, but salt and pepper continues to get the best reviews.When it’s time to cook, preheat a large 12 inch or bigger cast iron pan up. Start on medium and work to high.Add a half stick of butter and about a Tbsp of canola oil. If the butter starts to smoke or burn, turn the heat down to medium. I also like to throw in a couple sprigs of thyme. Add the meat but don’t overcrowd the pan or you will steam the meat and not sear it. One or two at a time is usually best, depending on the pan size. You should get an immediate sizzle of satisfaction.Turn the meat. For a thin thick steak, I turn twice on each side until there is a nice brown crust, turning about every 1.5 minutes, for a cook time of 3-4 minutes on each side. Depending on “thickness or your meat” this will give you a nice medium rare.Rest the steaks after you got that perfect sear and take them off and place on a new plate. I know you want to eat them hot and juicy but let those fuckers chill for 6-9 minutes. They will still be warm when you eat them. I guarantee you. If you don’t do this, you can ruin your sides and dinner plate by cutting into the steak. Within 30 seconds your plate will have an unappealing pool of red steak juice on the bottom. Like I said, I don’t do fancy marinades or seasoning on the steak but I do like to venture into sauces or herb butters to go with my steak. This is where I try new culinary ideas, whether it be a cream sauce, red wine mushroom or chimichurri. If you follow these basics, you shouldn’t F it up too bad and can still make great steaks in rainy, cold, or snow ridden weather. Steaks do need attention though, so if you put it on the grill and hide inside for 10 minutes because its cold you're not going to be happy with the result. Give this method a chance to avoid turning into a vegetarian snob in the winter.
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