Like a Steak Through the Heart

OK, folks. It's St. Patty's Day. Let's talk about steak. What's the connection, you may ask? Well, there is no connection, but I received this question from my good friend John Patrick O'hara - he's an Irish dude.

I love steak right off the grill, but a grill isn't always available... What's the best way to pan fry or roast a steak to get that grilled flavor?

I hate steak. Like hate hate. I just don't get it, don't see the point. I have hated steak since I was a kid. Chew it up, stick it in a napkin, toss to the side. That was my tactic and I got away with it - so sorry, Mom. I thought, perhaps, with time and maturity the feeling would pass. It hasn't. In fact, I have even gone as far as cooking it myself, thinking that my senses were just lying in wait for the perfect preparation. No go. Still hate it and I feel zero guilt. At a steak house I order the fish.

At best, steak is a terrific vehicle for other flavors (so is a spoon) and at worst, it's cow flavored gum (yes, I said cow flavored gum). Understand, I do not hate beef. I hate the chunk-of-charred-slab presentation. It makes no culinary sense. Here's a slab of cow and a serrated knife, now get to work! Why would any gourmand worth their salt pay top dollar for the honor of cutting their own meat? That is the work of the kitchen. And don't get me started about fillet! At least cheaper, fattier cuts wear the costume of flavor! Have the boneless skinless chicken breast instead. It's lighter on your wallet and has just about as much character!

That said, I will kick aside the soapbox and happily share my prowess about preparing steak. What, can't one jeer harshly and still be an expert?

John, no grill is no problem. The main event on a grill has relatively little to do with fire and much more to do with the metal grates. Sure, the ambient heat does some of the work, but the character of grilled food comes directly from the grates. After alot of healthy use, a grill grate has flavor built in. You want that flavor and flavor begets flavor. A brand new grill will not impart the grill greatness that you're after but you must sacrifice a few meals in the name of later flavor.

There is something to be said, as well, for the smokey goodness that comes with ambient grill heat. That flavor comes from drippings and mistakes from past grilling. You say Crap, I lost one of the burgers, when you should be saying, Yippee, I lost one of the burgers. It's OK. That's the good stuff. You don't necessarily want burgers to be sacrificed on the grill but it will certainly help to build flavortown for the next time you fire up.

So, there are two pieces to replicate when you are trying to mimic the grilling experience without a grill. 1) Seasoned metal effect and 2) Old-burnt-food smokey effect. Both are easy to do with a combo of flavor agents and the right vessel. Drum Roll Please...

1) Seasoned metal effect: C A S T I R O N. A cast iron pan is the gift that keeps on giving. Just like the grates of a well used grill, a coat builds up on the pan during each use that adds to its character. A well seasoned pan will impart a unique flavor to any meat, it will give you your daily dose of iron (true) and it is good for the stovetop and the oven. That last bit is the key to doing to a steak what you do on the grill. One part meat-on-metal, one part ambient heat to finish the cooking.

2) Old-burnt-food smokey effect: Difficult to replicate in the house, especially if one does not have a commercial grade ventilation hood above the stove. If you're excited about smoking out the cats and setting off alarms, I suppose you could let something burn on the bottom of the oven in hopes of that goodness getting into your meat. ---OR--- you could be smart and just use the right spices. Look for something with a smokey hint. My money's on smoked paprika, cumin, and bacon salt (it's real and its @#$! awesome). Steak purists are foaming at the mouth right now at the notion of putting anything but salt and pepper on the steak. BUT, my friends, smokey goodness is not going to make itself.

Preheat your oven, get the cast iron pan screaming hot, rub the meat with the spices, sear it, flip it, roast to finish. Done.

Now that I have simultaneously insulted and educated steak lovers (You're welcome), let me continue my St. Patty's Day ode to the O'Hara's of the world by giving you my special Green Cow Slab recipe. Enjoy chewing!

compound butter

1/2 lb - butter, softened

1/2 bunch - cilantro, leaves only

4 - mint leaves

steak

1 - boneless rib eye steak, 1 inch or 1.5 inch thick

1 Tb - light oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)

1 tsp - smoked paprika

1 tsp - cumin

2 tsp - bacon salt (or table salt)

Do this hours ahead of cooking the steak. Compound butter sounds complicated. It's not, and it may change your life. Compound butter simply means butter that's softened, has things mixed into it, then brought back to fridge temp to be used later.

Put the butter it into a blender with the (washed) cilantro and mint, blend until relatively smooth. You could just chop and mix in the herbs with a fork, but this way, the butter gets green for St. Patty's Day. Once blended, get some plastic wrap, plop the butter down onto it, form into a log with your hands the best you can. Roll it up in the plastic wrap and perfect the log. Fridge it.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the cast iron (or other oven safe) pan on the biggest element on your stove and heat to high. Let the pan heat for a few minutes. You want to work with a screaming hot surface. Mix together the oil and spices to form a loose paste. Lightly coat the meat with the mix. Using tongs, drop the steak onto the pan and don't move it. Let it sear for 30 to 45 seconds. Flip the steak and immediately place the pan into the oven. Roast for no less than 2 minutes and no more than 4 - depending on how you like your meat. Remove from the oven, plate and let it rest, covered loosely with foil, for 2-3 minutes.

When the meat is resting, get your compound butter from the fridge. Unwrap the green butter log and slice 2 discs off. Immediately place the discs on top of your steak. Melty green goodness.

Wow, this sounds good enough to eat. For you. Not me. I hate steak.

Thanks for the question, John Patrick O'Hara! Who's next?

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