Pan Seared Steak

[banditchef]

This is a quick, easy and tasty way to do steaks indoors when the weather does not permit grill usage.

Ingredients:
EVOO
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
sea salt or celery salt

Equipment:
HEAVY cast iron skillet

This will work with any steak you like from a bone in ribeye to sirloin. I generally cook myself a nicely marbled strip 1.5-2 in thick, while my wife and daughter are happy with splitting a 1.25 in thick sirloin.

Method: Liberally brush EVOO on both sides of the steak,and set on a plate. Sprinkle on to taste the spices on both sides and cover loosly with plastic wrap. Allow the steaks to warm to room temperature. Hold off on the salt until just before cooking. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
When the steaks have marinated for about 30 min, uncover and salt with the sea salt or celery salt. Heat the CAST IRON skillet to HOT. I use the HI setting on my gas stove with the 14000btu burner. Once the skillet is hot, carefully place the steaks in the skillet with NO additional oil. This will immediatly begin to carmelize the steaks and melt the fat.
Watch this closely...different cuts of meat will require different sear times. You want to sear off the steak, not cook it...the oven will finish the cooking. I use about 1-1.5 min per side in the skillet and about an additional 20 minutes in the oven. More time if you need a medium to med well steak. Keep an eye on this until you get a feel for it. In my example the strip will be med rare and the sirloin med. When done to your liking, remove the skillet from the oven and let the meat sit for a minute or so, then remove and plate. Pair with sauteed yellow squash or zuchinni, and garlic mashed potatoes.
ENJOY!