Happy almost Thanksgiving, everyone! Thanksgiving is by far the best holiday of the year. The one day when all you do is cook and eat...and there's the giving thanks part too. I guess before we talk about food, I should give a little explanation as to why I've been absent as of late. Kent and I have been blessed with some amazing trips this past month: from Banff National Park to the South Carolina's lowcountry. So I have quite a bit in the giving thanks department. But one in particular I'm going to mention in this post: I am thankful for opportunity to eat fine steak.
Not sure who is with me on this, but I relish in the moment when I know I'm going to have a thick, juicy rib-steak with fat marbled throughout like a Pollock on butcher paper. Fun fact: a ribeye is the boneless cut, and the rib steak is bone-in. There are many, many cuts of beef that we could dive into, but I'm going to keep this nice and simple by sticking to the ribeye/rib-steak. There have been many days that I've fallen back on preparing steaks because I couldn't decide what to cook. Steaks are such a classic staple and can be accompanied by whichever sides you choose that it's like having a classic shirt, you can dress it up or you can dress it down. I'll mention the oven/pan-sear method, which I'm partial to. I feel that instructing others on grilling goes against an unspoken rule that should not be broken.
INGREDIENTS:
a ribeye/rib-steak, thick cut
3 Tbsp of butter
heaps of salt and pepper
3 Tbsp of vegetable/canola oil
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 sprig of thyme, additional sprigs for decoration
1 sprig of rosemary, additional sprigs for decoration
*I listed the ingredients in such a way that you can cook a steak with just the first three ingredients if you're grilling, the first four ingredients if you're cooking on the stove. The last three of just a varied favor, which I personally attest to.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the steak until well-seasoned.
Place seasoned steak onto a roasting rack atop a baking sheet or on a cast-iron skillet and bake for approximately 45 minutes (until internal temperature reaches about 125 degrees F). This time is based on a medium-rare desire. Remove from oven.
Over high heat, heat oil on pan until smoking.
Sear the steak for 30 seconds, then flip.
Toss in the butter, garlic, thyme, and rosemary on the side of the pan. Either swirl the pan using the handle or grab a spoon, scoop the garlic and herbs on top of the steak and repeatedly drizzle the butter-herb concoction over the steak (my personal favorite) for about 30 seconds. Flip steak and repeat last method again for about 10 seconds.
Sear the sides of the steak.
Remove steak from heat onto a cutting board and let rest prior to cutting about 10 minutes. I know you want to cut right into the steak once it's nice and piping hot, but you'll lose all your juice and flavor that way.
Serve whole or sliced up, presentation is based on your occasion.