Butter-basted strip

Cast iron, a NY strip, and a spoon of foaming butter. The weeknight steak that still feels like a restaurant.

Made it?

25 min · 20 min hands-on · pull 128°F · rest 8 min

Ingredients

1.5 lb on the fire · ~0.8 lb to the table · 2 plates at 8 oz

1
Salt the steaks 45 minutes ahead, or overnight. Pepper just before the pan so it does not scorch.
2
Preheat the iron until it wisps. Oil, then lay the steaks down. Do not touch for 2 minutes.
3
Flip. After 90 seconds add butter, garlic, and thyme. Tilt the pan and baste 30–45 seconds.
4
Pull 125–128°F for medium-rare. Rest 8 minutes. Spoon the brown butter over the slices.

NY strip → Ribeye, chuck-eye, or a thick flat iron. Same pan, same 128°F. Ribeye renders more — pour off if the pan floods.
Butter baste → Tallow only. Cleaner beef flavor. Add herbs at the end anyway.

Au poivre
You want a pan sauce. Crust in cracked pepper. Deglaze with brandy and cream after the steak rests.
Caveman
Lump charcoal. Skip the pan. Direct on the coals, 90 seconds a side, brush the ash.
Thicker steak
2 inches. Do not use this method. Reverse sear, then a 45-second baste.

On the plate

With this dish, try making potatoes au gratin.
In the oven the last 70 minutes of a roast, or while steaks reverse. Yukon Golds, ⅛-inch, layered with cream, garlic, salt, Gruyère. 350°F until a knife meets no fight, then a brief broil.
1 hr 15 min
With this dish, try making grilled asparagus.
When the meat comes off to rest. Thick spears, oil, salt. Hot grate 2–3 minutes, roll, another minute. Lemon. Pencil spears go in a hot skillet, not on the bars.
10 min
With this dish, try making texas toast.
When you pull the meat. The rest window. Drippings or butter on thick slices. 30–45 seconds a side on the hot grate. Salt.
8 min