Always seeking that perfect steak.

I’ve cooked this before, but tonight I focused on more of the prep work. This evening, I had a perfectly marbled rib eye. I patted it down with paper towel to get it as dry as I could. Then I generously sprinkled kosher salt on each side, and set it aside for 45 minutes. Also grind on a healthy amount of black peppercorns.

The goal here is to draw out the moisture of the meat. If you cook a steak right out of the wrapping, it will steam, not sear, due to the high moisture content. Sure enough, there were pools of water on the outside of the steak after 45 minutes. Dap the steaks dry, let rest 10 minutes and repeat. Now you are ready to cook.

In a cast iron skillet, melt a few tablespoons of butter and bring to a medium high heat. Add the steak when it is sizzling hot. Then add a handful of whole, but crushed garlic cloves and several sprigs of fresh thyme. Leave these off to the side, but make sure they are coated with the butter.

Once the bottom has a great looking, crisp sear, flip the steak. Tilt the pan back and swirl the garlic and thyme in the juices. Then push them aside and, with the pan still tilted back, spoon on the flavored butter onto the cooked top portion of the steak. Coat well.

Then put the pan back down, center the steak and remove the garlic and thyme. Save the garlic.

Continue to sear the steak to your likeness. A press of the finger should be soft and not firm for a medium steak. Remove and cover and let rest 5 minutes…at least.

Tonight this (half the steak) was served with an air-fried sweet potato and a romaine salad topped with pecans and dried cranberries. The other half will be steak tacos for lunch tomorrow.