Please remove your heart strings so I can tug them a bit: I am lonely! I miss Craig! He's been gone all summer shooting his movie in Washington State. Well, he was in pre-production for the last few months; he just started shooting two weeks ago. The second day of shooting, he almost gave me a heart attack: he called me hysterical to say that, "The worst thing in the world that could've happened happened." The equipment truck had caught fire in the night and it looked like all their film and equipment was destroyed. He hung up and I didn't speak to him for another 24 hours and in that time I imagined the worst: that the movie was over. But when I spoke to him the next day he said it was a false alarm: a battery had overheated and exploded and covered everything with soot, but nothing was really destroyed. All was ok. And onward they go with the movie: he's having a blast. And I wish I could be there but I have my book stuff to tend to. And he'll be back in three weeks anyway. But in the meantime, I'm Mopey McMopeypants. I need some cheering up. Can't someone kill a cow for me and give me its flesh to cook? They can? Yippee!
Now, those who have studied my archives like a sacred text will probably know that in the three and a half years I've done this site I have NEVER cooked steak. It's not that I don't love steak--I do--I'm just scared to cook it at home. I don't have a grill. The one time I did try cooking a steak at home (I didn't write about it), I did a bad job. It was grainy and not very good. I'd basically given up.
But at Union Market the other day, in Park Slope, I spied a Rib-Eye that was $24 a pound. Mighty pricey for a piece of meat but it was just me that night: Diana was out with her brothers. Craig, as mentioned, was shooting a movie. And there was a certain someone I hadn't been paying much attention to lately... Corey Haim. Wait. I mean me. I hadn't been paying much attention to me and I deserved a Rib-Eye.
So I asked for the smallest Rib-Eye they had--it was 3/4th of a pound--and it rang in at $17. On the way home, because I was feeling ultra-decadent, I stopped into a wine store bought myself a bottle of red wine. I asked the guy there if he could recommend a relatively inexpensive red to go with steak and he suggested this:
That's a Spanish Priorat. I've never heard of Priorat. But guess what? It was awesome. Smoky, fruity, powerful: it was a great match for the steak and a great suggestion.
And now for the steak. How to cook it? I Googled "How To Cook A Steak Indoors" and came upon this page on Yahoo Answers. About the fourth comment down, someone posted Alton Brown's recipe. I've really started to admire Alton Brown--he really understands food; and though I'm not someone who's terribly interested in the science of cooking, there's no doubt that he knows how to make food taste good. So I decided to follow his technique.
Folks: it's foolproof. And awesome. Here's what you do.
1. Take out your meat (it should be appx. 1-inch thick) and let it come to room temperature.
2. When it's there, rub it with a tiny amount of Canola oil and then sprinkle with LOTS of salt and pepper.
3. Stick a pan in the oven--Cast Iron would be best, but I don't have Cast Iron so I put my All-Clad skillet in there instead--and turn it up to 500 degrees.
4. Wait. I waited 30 minutes because I wanted to make sure it really got scorchingly hot. That's what'll get you your sear.
5. When it's there, VERY CAREFULLY--and, obviously, using a glove or a towel--remove the pan from the oven and set on high heat for a few more minutes.
6. Hold your hand over the pan. It should be PAINFUL. When it hurts--really hurts--drop in the meat.
It should sizzle and smoke. That's great! That's what you want! Don't move it. Wait 30 seconds. At 30 seconds, flip it over and sear on the other side for 30 seconds. THEN: carefully (and use a towel, that handle's hot) put in the oven for 2 minutes. Take it out, flip the steak over one more time, put it back in for 2 minutes and then take it out and remove to a plate. That's it! Cover it with aluminum foil for 2 minutes so the juices go back in and you've got totally perfect medium rare Rib-Eye.
I served it with a simple Greek salad--tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, oil, vinegar and Feta--And Oh My Lord was this good.
Juicy as hell, powerfully meaty, and a great match for the red wine. After a few bites, I was glad Craig was far away: I couldn't afford to make this for both of us anyway. And sometimes it's fun to spoil yourself with dinner for one. Come to think of it: let him shoot his movie for the next three weeks, I'll eat like a king! And get fat! And then he'll come back and he won't recognize me and I'll tell him Adam was killed in a terrible accident and I'm Renaldo, the King of Portugal, and he'll dump me and turn straight. On second thought, instead of moping around, maybe I should join a gym.
Comments (46)
I tried that same recipe for the first time about a month or two ago and it was without a doubt the best steak I'd ever cooked. And when you're alone, comfort food is definitely the best. (I'd recommend garlic mashed potato on the side, but that's just me.)
Posted by Spike | August 22, 2007 1:34 AM
That steak looks killer, but I am sorry your man is away!
Posted by foodie | August 22, 2007 1:36 AM
Ribeye has to be one of the most interesting and flavorful steaks there are. I just love it. Not having a grill of my own either, I am going to give this method a try. Sounds great!
Posted by Grant | August 22, 2007 3:18 AM
Ribeye has to be one of the most interesting and flavorful steaks there are. I just love it. Not having a grill of my own either, I am going to give this method a try. Sounds great!
Posted by Grant | August 22, 2007 3:19 AM
Alton Brown knows his stuff (I think). Gorgeous steak! And a lovely wine, I've had it and it's great with a good piece of cow! Plus when it's dinner for one you get to drink it all...if you feel like it!
Posted by Katie | August 22, 2007 3:52 AM
I have tried several times to make steaks successfully at home, but it's never been as good as what I've eaten in restaurants. I've got a grill, but I'm reliant on Northern European weather, so all indoor steak cooking tips are welcome!Thanks for sharing, that steak looked gorgeous!
Posted by Mari | August 22, 2007 7:17 AM
How did your All-Clad do going in and out of a hot oven like that? We need to get you a cast-iron pan for sure - it does everything.
Posted by Reine de Saba | August 22, 2007 10:20 AM
I've done the same thing on my single-girl nights - bought a piece of expensive steak and had a totally indulgent meal alone. Delicious. I like broiling my steak, but Alton's method sounds great. I'm bookmarking it for next time Ben's out of town... :)
Posted by Luisa | August 22, 2007 10:41 AM
Yeah, get yourself a Lodge frying pan. They're great for cooking. Plus if anyone tries to break into your place while you're staying alone, you can clock them with it.
I admire you for putting your oven on 500 during the dog days of summer.
Posted by Lindsey | August 22, 2007 10:46 AM
Oh my lord those pictures have my mouth watering at 10 in the morning! There's nothing a girl from Texas likes better than a good steak. Invest in a cast iron - I use mine for just about everything!
Posted by Becky | August 22, 2007 10:50 AM
Oh my lord those pictures have my mouth watering at 10 in the morning! There's nothing a girl from Texas likes better than a good steak. Invest in a cast iron - I use mine for just about everything!
Posted by Becky | August 22, 2007 10:51 AM
I'm with Spike! Garlic mashed tater's definitely would be awesome with that steak!! Looks great! of course I"d have to cook it at 5am indoors in this NC heat!! Hmm... wonder if hubbie would pull out the grill tonight!!
Posted by annegirl | August 22, 2007 11:00 AM
My favorite type of salad, by far, especially with oregano (okay, so I am greek and therefore very biased). I love that technique for steaks. I really impressed my husband using it one night, when he was planning on grilling and the rain foiled our plan.
Posted by Elly | August 22, 2007 11:28 AM
I first learned of the method you talked about from Alton Brown a few years back. I will cook steak for myself at least once a week (but typically with mushrooms or a ear of corn bought from the vendor a block from my house).
Earlier this week I tried the "broiler" method for adding crust to the ribeye. The result was a flash fire. Mental note: don't put steak so close to broiler.
But the steak still tasted good.
Posted by yoshi | August 22, 2007 12:05 PM
Glad to hear the movie is still going on. Great meal for one -- it's certainly cheaper to make it at home. Yum! I have a sudden craving.
Posted by Kelly Mahoney | August 22, 2007 12:06 PM
It's funny that you mention several times to use a towel or oven gloves before touching the handle, because I could totally see myself grabbing that scorching hot handle without thinking!
What a great way to treat yourself! Steak and red wine......but where's the decadent chocolate dessert?;)
PS- congratulations on your book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by tokyoastrogirl | August 22, 2007 12:16 PM
Oh gosh this looks so good .. I'll have to treat my husband to this stea sometime (and just for him, as I won't be able to afford treating us both)!
Posted by Carmen | August 22, 2007 12:43 PM
Only when I am dangerously hungry do I crave a huge steak. Now, I might be able to treat myself at home. (As opposed to my "steak crime" experience at a restaurant here in NY). You are the best!
Posted by Caley | August 22, 2007 1:20 PM
Awwww! I'm sorry you're so lonely & miss Craig. Your dinner looks fantastic though!!! I am lucky enough to own 4 cast-iron skillets. Three of them are antique & they still rawk! I highly recommend getting one. I love Alton Brown & can't believe I missed that recipe. I can't wait to try it out.
Posted by Gwen | August 22, 2007 3:01 PM
Is your full name Adam (Corey?)Haim Roberts?
Love this Haim name. I have a Haim at home , and love him very much. BTW, I bought when in the US a special grill plate from ...Sonoma something ( forgot the name of this very big housewhare chain) ,very heavy , with stripes, and after a good heating it turns out wonderful in-house steaks. Is a rib eye steak what we call an entrecote?
Posted by simona | August 22, 2007 3:12 PM
I have one question: how much smoke did this method produce? I've made steak in the cast iron skillet on the stove and almost had to Stop, Drop and Roll. I was honestly worried the neighbors would call FDNY.
Posted by Rebecca | August 22, 2007 3:25 PM
I just wanted to say that that meal looks absolutely delicious. Nothing is better than a really good piece of meat and a nice fresh veg side. :D
Posted by Emily | August 22, 2007 4:08 PM
A couple months ago I bought a cast iron skillet for just this purpose (Alton Brown's recipe, that is). I actually do have a yard and a grill, but this turns out perfect every time I don't want to risk messing up my steak by cooking it on the grill!
Posted by Shawn | August 22, 2007 6:56 PM
Poor Adam, at least in your times of loneliness you have your book to get excited for! Or at least, I'm excited :)
Posted by Hillary | August 22, 2007 7:25 PM
Nice! Two fun things here: if you're pre-heating AllClad this way, then there's no need to do it for 30 minutes. That's recommended for cast iron, simply because cast iron takes that long to come to temp. I'd think 10 minutes in a pre-heated oven should be enough for AllClad.
Second fun thing: I deeply appreciated your reminders to use a towel, potholder, glove, etc. A few years ago, I'd removed a 400 degree skillet from the oven, preparing steak like this. I set it on the counter, turned to do something else, and then went back and -- yes -- grabbed the metal handle, full-grip. Felt the skin stick to the handle as I torn my hand away. I had melted lines across my palm for weeks, and nearly destroyed the tip of one finger when it became seriously infected.
Plus, it hurt like holy hell.
Thanks, Adam.
Posted by tim | August 22, 2007 10:24 PM
No reason to spend a lotta bucks on cast iron skillet. I got mine at thrift stores -- a 10-inch, a 6-inch and a 4-inch (perfect for scrambled eggs) and none of them cost more than $10. I LOVE MY CAST IRON SKILLETS!
Posted by vicki abbott | August 22, 2007 11:11 PM
Am I the only person who laughed at "1. Take out your meat"?
Posted by Sarah | August 23, 2007 12:48 AM
The title of this post reminded me of the time I was on the phone with my sister as I was making dinner. She asked what I was having and I said, "Tacos", and she replied, "For one?".
I laughed for about 2 minutes before I could say, "YES, SINGLE PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE THEMSELVES COMPLEX DISHES LIKE TACOS ONCE IN AWHILE!"
Ahh, good times. Hang in there, sounds like Craig will be home soon!
Jules
bigpikchur.blogspot.com
Posted by Jules | August 23, 2007 1:10 AM
Adam, you killed me with the staccato-rushed supposing of what could happen if you kept eating steaks. King of Portugal? Man.
That's how the Chef taught me how to make steaks. It's not fair that those chefy people know how to do this innately. We're going to bring it to the people, eh?
Tell Craig to come in for the restaurant for a meal, and I'll listen to his woes! I'd love to see him.
Posted by shauna | August 23, 2007 12:14 PM
Oh, my GAWD! I have been reading your website for months and months.
But after this post, I feel SOOOooo stupid because I had not realized that you were a homosexual.
I'm sorry, even though I was born and raised in Brooklyn, I now live in Clearwater, Florida . . . where I have found JESUS and the CHRISTIAN faith. I simply cannot abide homosexuality, and I will NOT be reading your website any longer.
But, I will PRAY to Jesus that you find salvation and that HE will help you find the righteous path.
chiffonade@yahoo.com
Posted by Louise (Chiffonade) | August 23, 2007 3:11 PM
Oh, oh,
Looks like a troll got in... shooo go away you ignorant ass, no one here wants you here anyway.
Posted by MARTEE | August 23, 2007 3:29 PM
Oh, oh,
Looks like a troll got in... shooo go away you ignorant ass, no one here wants you here anyway.
Posted by MARTEE | August 23, 2007 3:29 PM
MARTEE, I love you!
chiffonade@yahoo.com
Posted by Chiffonade | August 23, 2007 4:01 PM
Aww! I'll keep you company! We'll cook. :)
I wish I still had the stomach for good steak (I'm a pepper steak lover from when I was just a young lad)... Now I think I can't eat much more than a matchbox-sized portion per sitting.
Posted by Manggy | August 25, 2007 10:45 PM
Doesn't the smoke set off the smoke alarm? I made pulled pork the other day and set it off when browning the tenderloin. Unfortunately I didn't know not to open the entry door to the apt and THAT set off the main fire alarm. People from 35 apartments were exiting their building and glaring at me. And the fire department showed up. I'd LOVE to make this steak but I'm afraid of the same happening. I only have so many boxes of brownie mix left and 30 more to go. (but my neighbors aren't mad at me anymore)
Posted by BrendaS | August 26, 2007 2:22 PM
Doesn't the smoke set off the smoke alarm? I made pulled pork the other day and set it off when browning the tenderloin. Unfortunately I didn't know not to open the entry door to the apt and THAT set off the main fire alarm. People from 35 apartments were exiting their building and glaring at me. And the fire department showed up. I'd LOVE to make this steak but I'm afraid of the same happening. I only have so many boxes of brownie mix left and 30 more to go. (but my neighbors aren't mad at me anymore)
Posted by BrendaS | August 26, 2007 2:27 PM
I just stumbled across your blog by doing some research on Chez Panisse- what a lovely stumble!
I am watching via my tivo right now Alton Brown's Tender is the Loin episode on beef tenderloin and decided to read one of your beef recipes- how fitting you were inspired by AB!
Looks yummy and I too suffer from a lack of a grill and have utilised your method when searing my steak au pouivre. Always comes out perfectly!
ps- on a lighter note, is Chiffonade aka Louise above for real??!
This HAS to be a gag b/c if she is in earnest, doesn't she know that the bulk of chefs cooking your meals in restaurants are gay?
I mean, if she is so horrified by reading a blog written by- horror of horrors- a gay, I can't imagine how she can handle eating out and risking having a gay prepare her meal.
For the record, I grew up in the south and am a preacher's daughter and am proud to say our church never promoted homophobia so not all southern christians are ignorant or condescending(praying you find the righteous path- eww).
Keep on blogging Adam- congrats on the book- and you may have lost a reader but you have gained a sane one:)
xx
Posted by Orchide | September 11, 2007 5:09 PM
Hey everyone - the post dated August 23, a rather excited ranting, is not by me. I am actually "the real chiffonade" as spelled out in my myspace url. The individual who posted the nonsense on August 23 is a deranged person who has a lot of time on his hands and enjoys impersonating me all over the web. In any case, I am actually an accomplished cook who loves to discuss anything culinary. I guess if anything good has come of his stalking me, I am introduced to new websites such as this one!
I too love a great steak and pan sauce. Most of my friends think it's heresy to cook a steak in a pan but I find it's easier to control the resulting doneness in a pan vs. a grill. Port makes a great wine sauce, as does madeira.
Happy cooking, all.
Posted by chiffonade | September 27, 2007 4:35 PM
I'll occasionally prepare a ribeye in a panini grill and the steaks come out pretty tasty albeit with a lot of accompanying smoke in the kitchen. Alton Brown's technique does work better tho.
Posted by Utenzi | January 7, 2008 5:26 PM
Now I've done this a few times with very mixed results. I was surprised by how little cooking time you used, I usually do it for 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds on the stove top then 5 minutes under the broiler with the door open a pinch and I still end up with a nice medium rare cooked slab of beef. A thick steak is extremely essential to this turning out right. Had your goat cheese dill salad last night, it was tasty!
Posted by Tim Ross | March 11, 2008 10:10 AM
Now I've done this a few times with very mixed results. I was surprised by how little cooking time you used, I usually do it for 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds on the stove top then 5 minutes under the broiler with the door open a pinch and I still end up with a nice medium rare cooked slab of beef. A thick steak is extremely essential to this turning out right. Had your goat cheese dill salad last night, it was tasty!
Posted by Tim Ross | March 11, 2008 10:16 AM
Now I've done this a few times with very mixed results. I was surprised by how little cooking time you used, I usually do it for 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds on the stove top then 5 minutes under the broiler with the door open a pinch and I still end up with a nice medium rare cooked slab of beef. A thick steak is extremely essential to this turning out right. Had your goat cheese dill salad last night, it was tasty!
Posted by Tim Ross | March 11, 2008 10:18 AM
Now I've done this a few times with very mixed results. I was surprised by how little cooking time you used, I usually do it for 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds on the stove top then 5 minutes under the broiler with the door open a pinch and I still end up with a nice medium rare cooked slab of beef. A thick steak is extremely essential to this turning out right. Had your goat cheese dill salad last night, it was tasty!
Posted by Tim Ross | March 11, 2008 10:23 AM
Hi there and well done on the steak. We actually produce videos teaching people how to cook and I only wish had come accross this before making our ribeye videos. We always look for as much feedback from the aufdience as possible and this would have been a great tool with all the advice and feedback! I reckon you should get it all on camera!
Posted by Niall harbison | April 4, 2008 9:30 AM
My wife loves steak as much as I do, and truth be told, just today, I decided I wanted to make a ribeye. I don't cook very much, and when I do, it is usually on a grill. I needed some direction on how to prepare a ribeye indoors and then - boom - I stumbled on this article, and I can't wait to try this.
A Quick Aside-----
I can't - absolutely cannot - believe that someone took the time to write a post about the author's sexual preference. Just blew my mind with that one. So much for the age of tolerance!!!
In any event, I look forward to trying this tonight, and letting you know how it came out.
Posted by Mike Ruiz | May 9, 2008 3:48 PM
This recipe is the bomb--I make it at least once a month. Go Milwaukee Brewers.
Posted by ELev | May 18, 2008 11:38 PM