Monday, November 15, 2010

Simply Delicious Steak

My Tita Cynthia has been in the meat business a long time, so I believe her when she says that rib-eye is the best cut of beef for steak.

And my sister Cookie (whose word I'm prepared to take in all things kitchen related - "cook" is part of her name, after all) says that the best way to cook a steak is to rub it on both sides with salt and pepper and slap it on a sizzling hot cast-iron grill pan.

Ecco. A juicy, tender, well-marbled rib-eye steak. Freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Cast-iron pan at the ready. Just one more thing will rocket this recipe to red-meat heaven: a combination of chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, chopped fresh garlic, and olive oil. Presto - a quick, easy recipe for middle-of-the-week dinners, or impromptu weekend lunches, or anytime you want to sink your teeth into a good steak. Buon appetito!

Italian-Style Steak

2 rib-eye steaks
sea salt and peppercorns, 2 teaspoons of each, ground together
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 teaspoons olive oil

Heat up a cast-iron grill pan. It's ready when you sprinkle a few drops of water on it and they dance around.

Rub the steaks with the salt and pepper on both sides.















Throw the steaks onto the hot grill. Keep the heat at medium-high and cook for 5 minutes on each side.

You can stop at this point and have the steaks just as they are. The meat will be done to medium-rare perfection. Or, as Emeril says, you can "kick it up a notch" by going on to the next step.



While the steaks are cooking, heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the parsley and garlic, and saute until fragrant, one or two minutes. Set aside.














Slice the steaks into 1/2 inch-thick strips on the diagonal.







Return the steak slices to the still-hot grill pan along with the parsley and garlic; toss quickly so that the pieces are coated evenly. You can cook them longer if you like your steak well-done, but I like mine nicely crusted on the outside but still delicately pink in the middle.









Serve pronto.


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