A Perfectly Seared Steak

   

    Fastest way to a man's heart? A perfectly juicy, medium rare filet. That's it, he's yours, game over... LOL, I wish, but it's definitely one route. I can't tell you how many times I've seared a steak... and I still screw it up sometimes. I end up kicking myself over a slightly less pink piece of meat than I'd prefer. How silly? I get phone calls on Friday nights from my brother, my roommate, my best friend... "Maude, how the F do I sear a steak like you?!" No worries, I'm gonna tell you.
    First things first, if you're looking for that gorgeous caramel crusted steak, you're gonna need to get you a cast iron. To some, just the words may be intimidating, less the weight and the care process for a good cast iron. But don't worry, you can pick one up at Pretty much any place that has cookware or camping cookware (Target, Walmart, Marshall's. Academy) for under $20. Your steaks will never be the same.
    Secondly, you are never going to get a top notch tasting steak out of a bottom grade piece of meat, so keep dreamin'. Red meat, especially in it's whole form like we Americans love so much, is actually really hard for a our human bodies to break down. It takes a lot of time and energy to break that thing down and use it for energy. Not to mention the high cholesterol and fat content. SO there's my nutrition rant for today... My point it, if you're going to go all out and make yourself a bad ass steak, sink a few extra dollars into that higher quality piece, just don't go off and have a steak everyday. I really love those baby medallions (wrapped in bacon, so naughty) you can find at almost any grocery store, but a solid NY or Center Strip should do the trick. I like to stick with 1/2 a pound per person as a general average. I can never eat as much as I think I'm going to be able to, but it's all good cause that means steak & eggs in in the morning!

    Alright, let's get down to the nitty gritty.
 
You need:
    -Cast Iron
    -Oven & Range Top
    -Paper towels
    -Aluminum foil
    -Coarse grain salt
    -Black pepper
    -Olive oil (or another high heating plant oil)
    -A small pad of butter for each steak
Steps:
    1. Bring your steaks to room temp and dry with paper towels
    2. Apply a thick coat of salt and pepper to all sides of your steaks (be generous, it gives it that wonderful crust)
    3. Preheat oven will cast iron inside of it to 450 degrees
    4. When oven reaches 500, pull the cast iron our and place it on the range at high heat for 3 minutes
    5. Add about a tablespoon of oil to your cast iron and coat the surface
    6. When oil begins to smoke, place your steaks in, they will sear hard
    7. For every 1/2 inch thick your steak is, you will sear each side for one minute (you've got an inch thick steak, sear it for 2 minutes on front and back, and 2 minutes and two sides)
    8. Place in the oven for 5-7 minutes depending on your steak size
    9. Remove from the cast iron and place pad of butter on each steak.
   10. Cover lightly in aluminum foil tent and let sit for 4 minutes

     There ya have it. You win. A wonderful steak. You're welcome.
     PS. don't be afraid of a little butter, it's actually really good for you. :)