A few years ago I was treated to a steak at a really, really expensive chop house and it really got me thinking about steak prep. Is it possible to recreate that amazing chop house steak at home, I wondered.
Thus began a journey with a few twists and turns to get to chop house heaven. Now it may seem self evident to some how to get that perfect chop house steak, but give your humble webmaster a break, I grew up in a house where London Broil was considered ’steak’. Anyway I think the journey has concluded and I present the Dinner Tonite Chop House Steak at home:
Ingredients:
1. Buy great meat. USDA Prime. Dry aged. My go-to is the bone in strip. Maybe it’s just because I like saying ‘bone-in’ to strangers. Maybe it’s because it’s the king of steaks.
2. Get those babies home and set them out on the counter a few hours before dinner time on a plate. Salt and pepper them generously. Cover with plastic wrap loosely to allow air to circulate, but to keep pests off. Every few hours, re-salt them as the moisture is drawn out and dissolves the salt.
3. Grab that butter and clarify it. That smell when you walk into a $50 a cut steak joint? That’s meat sauteed in butter. Don’t skip this step.
4. As dinner gets close smash up the garlic and lightly saute it in a half cup of olive oil to release all the goodness. The oil and garlic are what you are going to finish the steaks in, so set aside to cool.
5. Time to cook! Add the clarified butter to a heavy skillet and heat it to somewhere between lava and jet engine hot. At the same time heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Ideally you should sautee the steaks one at a time, but you can do two in one pan if you stagger them. Add the steak(s) to the pan and sear each side to a nice brown crust. Typically will take 3-5 minutes. Once seared, toss those babies in the oven. My preference is just over rare at about 135 degrees F internal temp. This will require about 10 minutes in the oven.
6. As the steaks finish in the oven grab that Italian parsley and dice it. Then combine with the oil and garlic. Place the whole thing into the center of a HUGE piece of heavy duty tin foil, as this is where you will be resting the steaks.
7. Verify your steaks are done by touch or thermometer and set them in the foil, loosely seal the top and wait a good 5-10 minutes. Now would be a good time to pour a glass of wine and finish any side dishes. Asparagus only takes 5 minutes to roast and the oven is already at 400 degrees, right? Same with green beans.
8. Pull those babies from the foil and carve. Carve at an aggressive bias angle. Get big, fat slices. Once done throw them back into the foil to soak up the finish and serve from there.
My favorite steak sides are garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus or potato salad and ranch beans.
Wines for amazing chop house steaks at home? 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Biale Napa Ranches Zinfandel or to seduce a fellow carnivore of the opposite sex: 2006 Juan Gil Monastrell (thank me after you get back from the honeymoon).