As food costs go up, your favorite Roadhouse will need to cut corners to keep your steak meal at a price point you like. Cheaper grades of meat layered in tons of salt make you think you are getting a great steak. But treat yourself to a top-notch steak dinner at home! You will no longer want to go out for a “fancy” steak dinner.

Ingredients/Tools

One steak per person (see below)
Steak Dust (See below)
1-2TBSP olive oil or butter
Cast Iron Skillet large enough for steaks, larger is better.
Metal Tongs for handling steaks. If you don’t have good ones, splurge and spend $5.00
Optional- Digital Meat thermometer. An invaluable $15 tool.

The steak:

Option #1… NY cut strip steaks. Strip Loin is the Steak Lover’s Steak. Choose USDA Choice or USDA Prime (Preferred, if your budget allows). Never buy USDA Select. Buy steak that was cut within the past day, NOT in a pre-packaged “pillow-pack”. A good amount of fat or “marbling” is best, this will give flavor. Steaks may be more than an inch thick, possibly 12 to 14 ounces. Looks great on a dinner plate, plan on leftovers the next day.

Option #2… Center cut Beef Tenderloin steaks. A.K.A Filet Mignon if it comes from a French cow. These will be thick, the stores will cut them thicker than reasonable in order to drive up the price. If you like your steak medium well or well done, DO NOT buy this, and do not order this at a restaurant. It will be a waste of money as it is impossible to cook a thick steak past medium (pink)

The Preparation:

Remove the steaks from refrigeration in advance to allow them to come closer to room temperature. Prepare the Steak Dust (Below). Prepare side dishes such as a Caesar salad or baked potato.

Twenty minutes before serving: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, for finishing the steaks. Fifteen minutes before serving, preheat a cast iron skillet on medium to high heat.

Dust the steaks with the Steak Dust. Coat all sides with a thin layer. Once the skillet is hot, add olive oil or butter to the skillet.

Add the steaks to the hot skillet. Leave them alone for 5 or 7 minutes, until a nice brown to black sear is on the bottom side. Do not flip the steak. Next, use tongs to hold steak on each edge in the bottom of the hot pan to sear all sides.

Last- turn the steaks to the uncooked side and immediately put the skillet in the oven to finish. This allows the meat to cook uniformly to the desired temperature. After 5 to 7 minutes- check the internal temperature of the meat.

Medium rare: 125-130 degrees Medium: 130-135 degrees

Once temperature is reached, remove the skillet from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for a minute or two. Then remove the steaks from the skillet to a cutting board or plate. Cover the steaks with aluminum foil, they can rest until the meal is ready to plate, as long as 5 or 10 minutes.

Plate the steak with some juice from the pan, or a small pat of butter on top. Serve with a side salad, potato, and a green such as steamed asparagus.

Eat the steak from CENTER OUT to enjoy the best part at the perfect temperature.

Steak Dust: