Pan-Seared Steak
One of the best cookbooks I have purchased lately is The Best 30-Minute Recipe (See Amazon Link) cookbook published by the Editor's of Cook's Illustrated, which is part of the America's Test Kitchens group, which I love!! I have searching for ways to prepare the large cuts of meat - usually English roast - without having to cook it in the crock-pot all day for it to be tender and tasty. This particular cookbook had great suggestions for different cuts of meat, so I adapted their insights to fit the BOGO (Buy One, Get One) cut of meat I bought at a local grocery store. I can't pass up deals like that and have several more cuts in my freezer. So, here's an easy way to pan-sear steak that tastes almost as good as you can get in upscale restaurants. In fact, the first time I made it, Matt and I stood at the counter and ate the whole thing without sitting down. (We love our red meat!!)
- 2 to 3 pounds beef steaks, English roast, or other thick cut of meat from 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
- 1 tbsp. Extra-Light Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Place your cut of meat on a plate and tenderize with a fork on both sides. Be sure to poke a lot of holes in the meat - as there is no such thing as over-tenderizing a cheaper cut of meat. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and continue to tenderize with a fork. Before you cook the meat, add the olive oil to a skillet on medium-high heat. Make sure your skillet is large enough for the cut of meat you are searing because if the steak is too crowded and not packed together in the pan, the meat will cool the pan down and you will end up stewing the meat, rather than searing. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the cut of meat to the skillet. Leave the steak in that exact spot for at least 5 minutes so that side of the meat will develop a crust, which takes about 5minutes. You want that side to have a dark brown crust.
Once the first side is done, flip the steak over to the other side and cook until it at the desired doneness, about 3 to 6 minutes. If the pan starts to scorch, turn the heat down a little. Once both sides have a dark brown crust, transfer the meat to a clean plate. Make a little tent out of foil over the top and let rest 5 minutes before eating - of you can wait!!
TIP: Always under-cook your cuts of meat a little to allow for carryover cooking as the steaks rest. This is a rule of thumb for cooking most meat. You should serve cooked meat shortly after cooking for best results.
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