Need a stay-at-home Valentine’s Day meal? Splurge on some ribeye or filet. Put the kids to bed early. And get ready to fall in love with this recipe. No grill required — though you do need a cast-iron skillet!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cast-iron skillet
- 1 pound or more ribeye or filet mignon steaks, ideally 1½-inch-thick cuts
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
DIRECTIONS
Unwrap the steak, pat it dry with paper towels and rub it with oil and salt on all sides.
Season the steak with freshly ground pepper and let it come up to room temperature on the counter for 30–60 minutes. (While you wait, you can do your kids’ bedtime routine.)
Set the oven to broil at 500–550 degrees and place an oven rack 4–6 inches below the broiler’s heating element.
Place the empty skillet under the broiler to preheat, about 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook.
Remove the hot skillet from the oven — using potholders — and place it on the cooktop with the heat turned to high.
Turn on your kitchen vent — you’ll need it — and sear the steak for no more than 1 minute on each side.
Transfer the skillet to the oven (using potholders) and broil the steak for 1–2 minutes on each side for rare, 3–4 minutes on each side for medium, more for well done. Note: Cook times apply to a 1½-inch thick steak. Reduce cook times for thinner steaks. Your oven/kitchen may get a bit smoky at this stage in cooking. Stick with it.
Rest the steak on a clean plate. Top with butter and leave it alone, covered, for 5 minutes.
Serve with bread and butter (a French baguette warmed in that hot oven) and a side salad. Find a killer balsamic-maple dressing and recipe ideas for greens in our Food section.
Source: Adapted from How to Cook Perfect Steak in the Oven at thekitchn.com.
