Cook a rib-eye steak to perfection, in butter, for mouth-watering results.
When it comes to cooking a steak, there are many options; toss it into a screaming hot pan, broil it in the oven on the highest setting, throw it on a cranked-up BBQ. Most ideas include extreme heat, blackening the outside, while leaving the inside anywhere from practically raw to excessively well done. There is no wrong way to cook a steak, as long as it turns out as mouth-watering as you expected. There are, however, better ways. In the Feb. 27, 2002 edition of "The New York Times," Award-winning chef, Alain Ducasse then of New York's The Essex House, generously shared the secret to a steak cooked to tender perfection and glistening with butter.
Instructions
1. Bring the steaks to room temperature.
2. Set the stove to medium and preheat a heavy saute pan.
3. Place the steaks in the pan and render the fat from the meat, standing on the narrow fat-sides first to give the steaks an evenly seared surface. This will also give the pan the fat in which to cook the steaks.
4. Once the fat has rendered, flip the steak onto one of its flat sides using the tongs. Add salt to season. Brown. Turn and cook the other side to just underdone.
5. Pour off some of the fat, leaving about 2 to 3 tbsp.
6. Return steaks to stove. Add the butter and garlic to the pan. Baste the steaks with the butter and drippings. If using a grill-style pan, tilt the pan slightly and use a tablespoon to pour the fat over the steaks.
7. Cook each side 10 minutes for a medium-rare steak. Adjust cooking time as desired.
8. Allow the steak to rest, off the heat but still in the pan, for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Once the steak has rested, trim the fat and slice thickly. Serves four.
Tags: with butter