Amazing Steak, How Sweet The Sauce.

Telling my classmates about last nights kitchen debacle was painful. My confession that I had completely blasphemed the sacred combination of steak and potatoes was difficult to say the least. My friends looked on in disbelief at my shamed visage, but were quick to offer consolation and support, even in this, my darkest culinary hour.
After much discussion of my plight, Phil, a seasoned-veteran of summer steak grilling sessions and worthy of an honorable mention here; offered this sage advice:
“Try letting the meat and potato rest at room temperature for 15 minutes at least. That should really make a big difference. A lot of problems come from starting to cook the food when it is too cold.” I took it to heart, and added his council to the laundry list of things I intended to change to avoid a repeat of last night.

Later in the day, at the store I skipped the bargain beef that was prepackaged and ungraded, instead opting for a trip to the butcher’s counter seeking not just a steak, but THE Steak of steaks. Yes my friends, I selected a precision cut three-quarter inch thick trimmed USDA Prime Porterhouse steak. I also picked up farm-fresh broccoli and real cheddar cheese, and I went through a dozen potatoes before hand-selecting the best in the bin.

When I got home, nothing went into the fridge. Rather, everything was laid out on a baking tray. From the steak and broccoli, to the butter and oil I would use in the pan. A full and proper “Mise en Place” that would do a French chef proud.
Starting with the potato, I lightly oiled and salted the skin, cranked the heat on the oven and began to “Allez Cuisine!” Being the longest cooking component, I wanted to start it first. Not only was tonight an exercise in gastronomic penance, but an exercise in cooking times and service. I wanted everything on the plate within 30 seconds of being finished. I had to not only replace the poor quality of the food from the previous evening, but also had to vastly improve my execution of the meal itself.

I normally don’t talk about the “how to cook” part of things, but tonight I will, if for no other reason to contrast the timing of tonight vs. last night.

As the potato approached the end of it’s cooking time, I had water already boiling fro steaming the broccoli, and a saucier standing by simmering water to begin making the sauce. A kitchen timer would help me with the steak this time, and my goal was a perfect medium rare.

In a flash-bubbling of foam and smoke, my butter and oil hit the rocket-engine-hot cast iron skillet, followed by the lightly seasoned steak. A few minutes, a flip, a few minutes more and it was finished. To a nice resting plate the steak went.
The potato then came out of the oven, also for a nice pre-cutting rest. I preheated my broiler and then turned to making my sauce, in this case, it would be a very nice gravy.

Immediately, I took the cooked juices and fat from the steak that remained in the skillet and went to work in the saucier. A dusting of flour, some whisking, a splash of white wine, more whisking, a bit of beef stock, followed MORE whisking. Now I threw the broccoli into steam, and it took about two minutes to go from dark green and stiff to a bright green and ever so fork tender. By this time, the sauce was nearly complete. Things were coming together, so I put butter, broccoli, and cheese onto the rested potato, and stuck it under the broiler. As the sauce tightened up, I tossed in the capers, some salt and pepper, and a pat of butter for a nice sheen to the sauce. This took about a minute, at which point the final product of the potato was ready….
Everything was ready within 27 seconds of each other. I made my mark, and already felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The Plate was a thing of beauty, but only one obstacle remained; The state of doneness of my prized piece of beast.

My knife and fork went to work with some timidity, after all, any missed mark here either on over or under doneness would bring my sanity and confidence crashing down. The cut was made. I closed my eyes as I put a piece of meat onto the fork and raised it to my eyes. With all the tension of a courtroom just before the verdict is read, I held my breath and opened my eyes. And what did my wondering eyes behold? Nothing but the gloriously seared, crusty outside of a pan-fried steak; and the warm, pink, juicy, and delectable center of an absolutely flawless medium rare!

Tonight I feel utterly redeemed from certain culinary damnation, and I am proud to post my pictures and blog tonight. I wish I could describe the meal to you in detail... The sweet meat and velvety sauce. The cheesy sharp goodness of melted cheddar and butter over tender yet still crisp broccoli, and the heavenly cloud of fluffy baked potato. But some things are just best left unsaid because words cannot describe the sheer splendor. Suffice it to say that if they have dinners in heaven, they were one plate short tonight.

Now I’m off for a well earned frosty-brew, and I can happily proclaim:

475 recipes to go!