Thursday, May 31, 2007

How to cook a super-easy super-delicious steak

I've been cooking for myself since I was 17. And I love steak. In fact, if it's not my favorite food, it's definitely in my top 5. But I never managed to cook a steak that I liked. So, for years and years and years, when I wanted steak, I'd go to a restaurant. Or to my parents' house.

But last week, I finally learned the trick to cooking a fantastic steak. A mouth-watering amazing steak. But more importantly -- a foolproof one-ingredient steak that even an idiot can prepare.

What's the secret?

Butter.

Yep, you read that right. And yes, I was as shocked as you. But it works. Trust me.

Here's my recipe:

Step 1. Melt butter (or in my case olive-oil margarine) on grill pan over flame.
Step 2. Add steak, seasoned with small amount of salt and pepper to grill pan, with small amount of butter on top. Cook until medium-rare, turning halfway through.
Step 3. Put on plate, perhaps with side dishes.
Step 4. Cut into small pieces and eat, chewing slowly and thoroughly, so as to (a) not choke and (b) savor every delicious morsel.*

Oh, and kids, make sure you turn the vent fan on. You wouldn't want to inadvertently set off the smoke detector.



*And, for those of you that know of my distaste for kosher food -- and frustration with antequated Jewish dietary laws -- this is also yet another reason why kosher steak just doesn't taste as good.



8 comments:

DSL said...

Somehow it doesn't surprise me that the secret ingredient is butter. It often is.

Joe Grossberg said...

You should let the steaks "rest" for a few minutes after cooking, to let the juices re-distribute.

mad said...

I was watching the cooks at Ruth's Chris one night. The amount of butter they use is amazing. And the one in D.C. is where I had the best steak ever.

anne said...

Oooh I have learned to love steak too - later on because of those damned Jewish laws. But it is great.

Someone mentioned it above - but Ruths Chris is known for the butter and there is a good reason for it.

dara said...

DSL: But steak? I never would have thunk it.

Joe: Thanks for the tip. I will use that next time and see if it makes it even better!

mad: I never like to look in the kitchen -- I'm somewhat of a germaphobe, so I'm always nervous that if I see what goes on behind the curtain, I'm going to have issues.

e.b.: Luckily, my parents never kept kosher, but I've eaten enough kosher food to know the difference. Food cooked with butter (and cheese) is just better. And I'm not giving up chicken parmigiana, lobster, or scallops for anything.

Jeff said...

As someone planning to keep a kosher kitchen in my new apartment, I should point out that they do make pareve margerine.

dara said...

Jeff: I respect your decision to keep a kosher house, and yes, to that end, you could use margarine, which is pareve -- since it's made from oils, not dairy. And to be entirely honest, I have always used it more than real dairy butter.

But, there's an ongoing debate about whether margarine or butter is healthier, and the evidence against margarine is starting to scare me. While it's often been thought that margarine is lower in cholesterol and saturated fat, and higher in good fats, margarine contains trans-fats -- which are very dangerous, and which lower your good cholesterol. Plus there's the whole idea of eating something that is the food equivalent of plastic.

Next time I make steak, I'm going to try olive oil to see if I get the same result.

Paige Jennifer said...

Kosher shmosher. The day I give up slurping raw oysters or savoring some lobster dipped in butter or biting into a juicy cheeseburger, well, that is the day I die.