Faster horses
Well-known member
I read this in a magazine and I thought it was interesting. Thought some of you might find it interesting as well:
For an exquisitively crusty, juicy, flavorful steak on your stovetop all you need is a cast iron pan, lots of heat and a quality cut of meat. And you need to know what you are doing.
The cast-iron skillet is the key. If you don't own one, buy one, or find one at a garage sale. The older the better. Then the secret is not to do too much--forget the marinade--a good well-marbled cut like a New York Strip doesn't need it. All it needs is salt and pepper. How much and when to salt is debateable.
Restaurateur Joe Bastianich (who owns a lot of steak houses) takes his
out of the fridge eight hours before cooking, and as he says, salts it like a New York City soft pretzel. He might take these measures to the extreme, but the point is, you want your steak room temperature before it hits the pan, which is crucial if you like it rare. And red meat benefits from a healthy amount of salt--it accentuates the steak's hearty flavor.
Finally, once the meat is in the skillet, don't do a darn thing--DON'T PRESS DOWN on the steak, don't sneak a peek. In order for it to develop a perfectly browned crust, you ned to let it develop one. And really, that's it--the steak is the star here, not you. You'll realize that as soon as you take your first bite.
--Adam Rapoport, GQ.COM
Winter Steak
1 strip steak of the finest quality you can find, 1 1/4-1 1/2 " thick
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
Take the steak out of the fridge about an hour before cooking and let it come to room temperature. If you have a cookie rack, lay it on that so it doesn't sit in it's own juice.
Place a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until
it is basically smoking.
Throughly dry the steak with paper towels. Generously salt it on all sides. Add some pepper.
Lay the steak in the pan and cook it, untouched, for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 minutes more for rare to medium rare. You may also want to prop the steak on its side to sear the fat.
Remove the steak from the pan, place on the cookie rack, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if you're feeling Italian.
***IF you have a vent over your stove, use it. If not, open the windows and front door, turn on a fan, and remove the batteries from your smoke detector. Seriously.
For an exquisitively crusty, juicy, flavorful steak on your stovetop all you need is a cast iron pan, lots of heat and a quality cut of meat. And you need to know what you are doing.
The cast-iron skillet is the key. If you don't own one, buy one, or find one at a garage sale. The older the better. Then the secret is not to do too much--forget the marinade--a good well-marbled cut like a New York Strip doesn't need it. All it needs is salt and pepper. How much and when to salt is debateable.
Restaurateur Joe Bastianich (who owns a lot of steak houses) takes his
out of the fridge eight hours before cooking, and as he says, salts it like a New York City soft pretzel. He might take these measures to the extreme, but the point is, you want your steak room temperature before it hits the pan, which is crucial if you like it rare. And red meat benefits from a healthy amount of salt--it accentuates the steak's hearty flavor.
Finally, once the meat is in the skillet, don't do a darn thing--DON'T PRESS DOWN on the steak, don't sneak a peek. In order for it to develop a perfectly browned crust, you ned to let it develop one. And really, that's it--the steak is the star here, not you. You'll realize that as soon as you take your first bite.
--Adam Rapoport, GQ.COM
Winter Steak
1 strip steak of the finest quality you can find, 1 1/4-1 1/2 " thick
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
Take the steak out of the fridge about an hour before cooking and let it come to room temperature. If you have a cookie rack, lay it on that so it doesn't sit in it's own juice.
Place a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until
it is basically smoking.
Throughly dry the steak with paper towels. Generously salt it on all sides. Add some pepper.
Lay the steak in the pan and cook it, untouched, for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 minutes more for rare to medium rare. You may also want to prop the steak on its side to sear the fat.
Remove the steak from the pan, place on the cookie rack, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if you're feeling Italian.
***IF you have a vent over your stove, use it. If not, open the windows and front door, turn on a fan, and remove the batteries from your smoke detector. Seriously.
:lol:
