Niles wrote this one! I had to edit it down a little, because his instructions were very detailed. So here are some extra tips that didn’t quite fit on the page:
* Make sure to use corn or vegetable oil, NOT olive oil. Olive oil has a lower smoke point, so you can’t get the pan quite as hot without filling your kitchen with smoke. Seriously though, even with the vegetable oil, Niles sets the smoke alarm off EVERY TIME he makes a steak. We have a very sensitive smoke alarm (again, sorry neighbors!), but still.
* You can replace the 1/4c of wine with beer, which is what Niles did tonight, and it was just delicious.
And that’s it! Enjoy!
I needed this in my life like you wouldn’t believe. I want to hang it in my kitchen because these are the exact instructions I’ve been looking for forever. Thank you to both of you for putting this together! I’ve got steak in the freezer and I’m totally trying it tomorrow night!
Yum yum yum! What’s the oven temperature, by the way?
Just as an FYI, and a little extra info, you give good timing up there for doneness, but the best way to know is a thermometer. We invested less than $20 in a neat probe thermometer with a long oven-safe cable and you can even set a timer to beep when it hits a certain temperature.
Anyway, Rare = 120-130 °F; Medium-Rare = 130-140 °F; Medium = 140-150 °F; Medium-Well = 150-160 °F; Well Done = GET OFF MY PLANE (agreed).
@ Michele: 400 degrees! :D
I’m so glad you guys like these ones! Last night Niles suggested I make them into prints and donate a hunk of the proceeds to the Chicago food bank or something similar. So that might be next on the agenda! :)
I’ve started creating a little desktop recipe box with your comics (this one is going right in there!). Man, if there was a way to get these on like, half-letter cards that I could box up and keep them in my kitchen, I would be all over them!
Another tip: When the steak is resting, set it on top of a small plate or large bowl that’s been turned upside down and set onto a larger plate. All the extra juices will run down the sides of the small plate onto the larger one, and won’t destroy the nice browning. We also cover very loosely with foil during the resting stage (because Alton Brown told us to).
Some extra thoughts that got left out because of space or forgetfulness:
–Some purists I’ve met frown on frozen steaks, but I can barely tell the difference. As in all matters, the purists should be ignored. Anyway, the convenience factor (as well as being able to save money by buying extras when they go on sale) outweighs any slight difference. Just make sure you thaw in the fridge before you let it sit on the counter.
–I recommend crumblier blue cheeses here, but you could also take a softer blue like Cashel or Roquefort and mix it with softened butter. It’s a different tack, but no less valid.
–I used Three Floyds’ Zombie Dust to ‘finish’ this steak and it turned out really well, but you could probably do something interesting with a stout, though that will probably take some more experimentation. Maybe onions in the pan, too.
–Also, remember, your cat will probably appreciate a bite of raw steak, so make sure you pick a big one so you can share a little with him.
–There are a lot of words that people will try to throw in front of steaks. Meat counters must be hiring writers, because all of these words magically drive up the price. The only one that I think is worth the premium is “grass-fed,” which affects the cow’s digestion and makes for better meat at lower cooking temperatures. Also, anyone who cares enough to grass-feed (?) a cow is Probably going to raise a better cow, and thus a better steak.
–Michele: you can use anything from 350 to 425. I used to try to keep the temp really low, but you actually run a higher risk of overcooking when you do that.
–Aaron: given that I got most of my steak practice drunk at 2AM, I’ve never bothered with meat thermometers, but I think they’re a good idea, especially if you’re picky or don’t trust your oven.
–Also, even though I advise against chuck or round above, there are certain inner parts of those cuts that have names like “mock tenderloin” that could probably work OK. I haven’t tried them yet, but they have good reputations.
I am already trying to convince my boyfriend to make this for dinner. It’s his last day of school for the quarter, so something delicious like that would be just the ticket.
Guys, I think I’m going to make Niles write Sauceome comics for me a lot more in the future. This is great!
Also: as long as we’re being thorough, I think Niles would like me to tell you that in the part of the comic that says you don’t need to get filet mignon cuts, because there are much cheaper, nearly-as-awesome cuts, he wrote “Whoa, slow down there, Romney!” And I had to cut it for space. It did make me laugh out loud, though.
OMG I swear i’m not being a snot, but you CAN use olive oil, just not EVOO. I like to use a bit of reg olive oil and/or clarified butter.. OR BACON FAT!
This just in: FOOD IS GREAT.
amazeballs. (I too, make the house quite smokey when I make a steak, not to fear). Thanks for all this attention!
Me and my boyfriend just did this tonight! Perfect medium rare steak! Thank you!