Steaks, sans grill.

Sometimes I have conversations with my wife, and halfway through I realize I have stopped making much sense. Such was the case when Karen told me that she wanted to have steaks and I momentarily forgot that I was in control of making that happen.

Since I often have less working time than she does, I have taken to doing a lot of the menu planning and cooking. This works out great, because of the fact that I love to cook and love more to be in charge of all of the things that go on while cooking.

Not too long after our wedding, we were up at my mom's lake house near the lake of the ozarks. The weather can be unpredictable in the spring, so we were caught somewhat off-guard by a sudden rainstorm and I had to change from grilling to some other method for cooking the steaks we had purchased at the grocery store on the way in. I'd always read about how good cast-iron was for this particular purpose, but I hadn't really had a chance to try it out prior to this situation being thrust upon me.

While the first occasion was with a ribeye steak, our most recent steak adventure was with a sirloin of some variety that we purchased from target. Forget your fancy rubs and seasonings. For me, the best way to go about adorning your steak is salt and pepper only.

I really should have trimmed them, but a bit of fat is tasty.

After the salt and pepper, on both sides of course, is allowed to sit for a few minutes, and the steaks have come to something near to room temperature, they get placed into a very hot cast iron pan to sear for a few minutes on each side. Contrary to what you may have heard this does not 'seal in juices'. Quite the opposite actually as the increased heat actually does more cellular damage to the structures holding the water and various dissolved elements inside the steak. What it does do is create a flavorful browned layer on the exterior through a process called the 'Maillard reaction'. This is a similar process as what creates the brown crust on breads and baked goods.

After searing another wonderful advantage of cast iron is revealed when you slide the whole pan straight into a preheated oven. Ours is most commonly set at 350, and the steaks cook for just under 10 minutes. Less if you prefer your steaks rarer than medium to medium well. More time if your steaks are thicker, or you prefer well done.

Into the hot-box! Use oven mitts!

After you remove your by now seared and wonderfully browned and fabulously smelling steaks, make extra sure to let them rest under foil for another 5 minutes or so. This will allow all of the juices that have been concentrated by the heat to redistribute themselves throughout your steak. Cut early, and a pool on your plate will be the result.

I kept the sides simple, as I wanted to make the beautiful steak the star of the show. I steamed some green beans, and sliced up a really interesting looking pretzel bread loaf I found at Whole Foods. Have I mentioned yet how in favor of the whole pretzel bread craze I am? It's quite a bit.

A light grind of salt and pepper for the beans and butter for the bread. A fantastic meal!

Hopefully this will inspire one of you, at the very least, to pick up a not-too-expensive cast iron pan, pre-seasoned please, and try your hand at seared and oven finished steaks.

See you next time!

-R