If steak is on the menu, and I’m not paying, I order it. Some people get cravings for chocolate, peanut butter or Hot Tamales. I get sudden, irresistible cravings for steak. However, I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually purchased steak and cooked it myself. Growing up with a backyard means that I associate steaks with giant grills surrounded my men with a big knifes in one hand and a martinis in the other. I definitely do not associate steaks with a 5th floor walk up apartment and a mini-stove.
But a few nights ago, I gave into my craving and headed to the butcher. Floored by the prices on the Porterhouse, I chose a boneless rib eye steak. I then swallowed my pride and asked the butcher the best way to cook a steak in a NYC apartment. His instructions were flawless.
1) Cover the steak in a generous amount of salt and pepper and let it ‘warm up’ to room temperature.
2) Heat a heavy cast iron skilled for ten minutes with nothing on it.
3) Add a few drops of vegetable oil (not butter or olive oil as it will burn!)
4) When the oil starts to smoke, add the steak and cook four minutes a side for rare…a bit more for medium rare.
5) Remove the steak and let it sit for 6 minutes.
6) Slice and serve. And don’t think about how much it cost.
You probably feel this way about chocolate mousse too so next time I'm in town you should probably suck it up and make that too.
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