Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Spinach, onions and steak, oh my!

My wife and I commute to and from work. On the commute home today, neither of us could remember the last time we had a good steak. Fearing our lack of red-meat consumption would throw off the circle of life, we stopped into our neighborhood grocer to pick up a steak. Of course this meant we had to forego our workout, but it's a small price to pay for el círculo de vida.

Healthy? Of course! There's spinach.

Here's how I prepared the one-pound cut of bone-in cardiac arrest.

1 lb of bone-in ribeye
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 cup of mushrooms, chopped or halved
2 cups of baby spinach
seasoned salt
garlic powder
ground black pepper
cayenne powder
cooking oil

Fire up the oven broiler and heat up a cast-iron skillet on high. Season one side of the steak with as much of the seasonings listed above. I wish I could give you measurements or some ratio, but I always eye-ball it. Just remember, easy on the salt since it can always be added later. Once the skillet is hot, add oil. Just before the oil reaches its smoke point, put the steak in seasoned-side down on the fire. Sear for one minute. While searing, season the other side of the steak, which should now be facing you. Flip and sear again for one minute. When done, put the entire skillet under the broiler.

This part is a bit tricky since the cook times depends on the thickness of your steak. My steak was only an inch thick and I mistakenly broiled it for 5 minutes each side. I know what you're thinking, but it's been a while since I made steak. At one point in my life my apartment's electric stove and I could turn out 6 steaks all cooked to different orders without even using a timer. The corporate world takes away so much of my life.

This steak came out medium-well and, by the time I started eating, it was well-done. I should have broiled it for 3 minutes each side. If you're making this with a 3-inch thick cut, 5 minutes each side should give you a steak that comes out medium rare but is medium by the time you start eating. Make sure to let your steak sit for at least 5 minutes after cooking before cutting into it. Luckily, since it was a ribeye, all the marbling kept it tender enough to enjoy. I'll take a stab at it again in a week or two...pun intended.

As for veggies, I sautéed spinach, onions and mushrooms in the pan drippings while letting the steak rest. After eating this, I needed a rest...*rimshot*... Simply put the skillet back on the stovetop on medium high heat, transfer the steak to the plate, and add only the mushrooms and onions at first. They'll be flavored with the fat and seasonings that came off the steak. A few minutes before the onions and mushrooms are done, add the spinach and toss until the leaves wilt. Serve with your favorite beverage. It was a Bud Select for me tonight since I'm watching my calorie consumption.

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