Rib Eye Steak
Ever since William introduced me to Good Eats, I’ve been hooked. I’ve seen almost every episode, and credit the show with some of the most useful culinary instruction I’ve received. Whenever I make a new dish, I usually start with the Good Eats version first to help learn all the necessary techniques and to learn to pick the proper ingredients. Alton Brown just released a new book Good Eats: The Early Years, which has selected recipes, trivia, and pictures from each episode up to episode 80 (which is most of the way through season 6). This will eventually make up a trilogy of books, with the eventual release of 2 other books. The release of this book gave me an idea to revisit the early episodes of Good Eats, and to make a recipe from each episode to post on the blog. This leads me to the first episode: Steak Your Claim.
Searing the 1st Side
Steak Your Claim has an amazing technique for cooking steak that most people haven’t tried at home. Instead of using the grill, Alton opted for what he refers to as “Black Gold” or a cast iron pan. It involves getting the pan blazing hot and searing the steak on both sides and then finishing it the rest of the way in the oven. It yields a delcious, brown crust on the outside of the steak while the inside remains juicy. The cooking time also only takes about 5 minutes for medium rare, so it hard to beat a perfectly cooked steak in minimal time. This cooking method does produced a decent amount of smoke, so I would recommend opening some windows in your house before you drop the steak in the pan.
Searing the 2nd Side
Ingredients:
1 Boneless Rib Eye Steak, 1 1/2 Inch Thick
Canola Oil
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
1. Place a 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 500 F. Allow the steaks to warm to room temperature.
2. When the oven preheats to 500F remove the pan from the oven and place on a burner over high heat for 5 minutes.
3. During this time, lightly coat the steak with canola oil and salt and pepper both sides.
4. Place the steak in the pan and cook for 30 seconds without touching the steak. Flip the steak over and cook for another 30 seconds.
5. Place the pan directly in the oven and cook for 2 minutes for medium rare (3 minutes for medium). Flip the steak and cook for 2 more minutes for medium rare (3 minutes for medium). The internal temperature should be around 135F for medium rare and 140F for medium (the temperature will rise some while resting).
6. Place the steak in the draining rig composed of a bowl, collander, and lid (see picture) and allow to rest for 5 minutes (This allows for the juices to be retained for a sauce). Dig in and enjoy!
Draining Rig
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