~ Snowstorm Steak (How Mel Broils Steak Indoors) ~
Oh baby it's cold outside, and, the truth be told:
I am not an outdoors kinda gal unless certain conditions are met: I like my weather sunny and warm enough to drive with the top down on my convertible, or, sit in a chaise lounge with a G&T and watch Joe perfectly grill some thick, juicy steaks under a blue and white "Happy Valley" sky. Pretty amusing considering I live in the Northeastern United States, more specifially, Central PA, which can be like sitting on an iceberg at times. And, "iceberg" definitely defines the Northeast this week. So, what does a bloody-red meat-loving gal do under these circumstances? She lights a fire in the fireplace, puts a movie on the kitchen TV, pours a G&T, sends the hubbie to the store for some 1" thick steaks (any kind will do), and, preheats the broiler! Meet my meat:
When Joe faces the butcher at the meat counter of any of our local stores, he knows exactly what I am looking for: red, well-marbled, and a minimum of 1" thick (they don't need to be USDA Prime or Wagyu). While bones turn me on, bone-in steaks are not essential to success, but, nothing less than 1" will do. In fact, why butchers slice any steak less than 1" thick is a mystery to me. It's a magic number when it comes to steak cookery by any method: grilling, pan-searing or broiling. Adjustments can be made for thicker steaks, but, thinner ones: not so much. They overcook way too fast, losing their perfect rare- medium-rare doneness in a matter of seconds!
Properly prepping the steak is easy and important:
I've got 4 strip steaks today, and, I've allowed them to come to room temperature, right on top of the butcher paper they were wrapped in, which takes about 1-1 1/2 hours.
Tip from Mel: A room temperature steak will cook evenly, a cold steak will not. Whenever you are cooking steaks, by any method, always bring them to room temperature.
I've patted each steak dry with a paper towel, and, I've arranged them on an 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 1 1/4" disposable aluminum broiler pan, the kind with the corrugated bottom (No cleanup afterward. Thank me later.). I also put 4 tablespoons salted butter on the counter to soften while the steaks were coming to room temperature, and, I have slathered the top of each steak with 1 tablespoon of butter.
Bring on the pepper grinder!
Mine is filled with a peppercorn blend, but, black pepper is great too, and, I do not think one can ever have too much pepper on their steak. I am a steak purist and rarely add any spice concoctions that masque the flavor of my steak, and, I save the sea salt grinder for topping my finished steak. Quite frankly, it just tastes better that way!
Three steak broiling tips from me:
Position oven rack about 6" underneath the heating element, preheat broiler, and, make sure the oven is up to temperature before putting the steaks in it, 15-20 minutes!
When broiling, always keep the oven door ajar (oven doors all have a hinge designed for this purpose), otherwise, you will be baking your steak instead of broiling it!
Every oven heats differently. If you are following my method for the first time, note how your oven broiled your steak, and, error on the side of undercooking it on the second side. You can always put it back under the broiler to cook it a bit more (you can't reverse overcooked)!
~ Step 1. Place steaks under broiler (leaving the door cracked) for 6 minutes. They will be brown and bubbly around the edges and across the top. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 3 minutes.
Note: For whatever reason, this short rest before broiling steaks on the second side is a game changer!
~ Step 2. Using a pair of tongs (never prick steaks with a fork), flip them over and grind more pepper over the new tops (no butter is involved on the second side).
Return steaks to the broiler and...
... broil for 8 minutes (or 8 1/2, 9, or, 9 1/2, if your preference of doneness is more that what I have pictured for you). Past that, a 1" thick broiled steak is not worth eating. Trust me, you've got no where to run and no where to hide. You will feel no love, just shame.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt, slice, and, serve:
We're enjoying ours with a 'garden' blue cheese salad tonight!
Snowstorm Steak (How Mel Broils Steak Indoors): Recipe yields instructions to broil as many bone-in or boneless 1"-thick steaks (to a doneness of rare- medium-rare) that you want to make.
Special Equipment List: paper towels; 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 1 1/4" disposable aluminum broiler pan w/corrugated bottom; butter knife; tongs
Cook's Note: For another one of my snowstorm steak dinners, which is quite impressive even under perfect weather conditions, you can find my recipe for ~ T.G.I. Five-Minute Filet Mignon w/a Cremini Saute ~ in Categories 2, 20 or 21!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2013)
Comments