Steak for Stoves

Growing up my parents made steak two ways, on the grill or under the broiler. So, when my brother called to ask how to make a porterhouse steak in his college apartment I didn't flinch. How could he possibly know what to do? They don't allow bbq grills at college. There is no way to cook a decent porterhouse on the George Foreman, his preferred cooking method of most things, and broiled steak is, well...broiled.

But it's easy to make a great steak with your stove, you just have to be smart about it. There are three big steps to making a perfect hunk of meat:

1. SEASON
2. SEAR
3. FINISH

Sounds too easy? It's really a matter of respecting the meat. Meat that is taken out of the refrigerator and brought to room temperature. Dried with paper towels. Seasoned with a lot of salt and pepper. Seared properly to create a crust that holds in the juices. Finished in the oven, and left to rest for 4-5 minutes on the counter before devouring it will taste like the best steak you've had in a restaurant. Scout's honor.

Steak for Stoves

*Pre-heat oven to 400.
*Remove steak from refrigerator and let stand -on a plate, on the counter, in its packaging- until it is room temperature.
*Using paper towels, blot steak to dry the surface. Season with salt and pepper...about 1 teaspoon more then you think you should use.
*Heat oil (not olive oil, it burns too quickly) or butter (I love butter) in a large skillet, one big enough to hold your steak and still have 1/2 inch space around the meat.
*Place steak directly into center of your skillet. Sear until a golden crust has developed, the timing on this will depend on thickness but 4-5 minutes is a good rule of thumb. Flip steak and sear on the opposite side.
*When the second side is finished, turn off the stovetop. Place the entire skillet into the oven to finish cooking, approximately 8-10 more minutes depending on the thickness for medium rare.
*Let stand on a clean plate or cutting board. This 4-5 minutes of sitting will allow the juices to re-absorb into the meat. You'll notice that when you cut into it after letting it sit the juices will not run out as much as a steak that is immediately consumed. This is the hardest step, I hate waiting, but it is necessary.
*Serve!

TIP: Like it medium rare? Medium? Killed? It's easy to tell how well done your meat is without cutting into it, feel it. Use a fork (or finger) and press it into the meat without piercing it. Is it super soft and squishy? Then it's closer to rare. Does it have no give at all? More well-done. Get a feel for how quickly it changes by testing it throughout all of the stages of cooking.