It's snowing outside today and its almost May!!? Hubby wants to do steak tonight, and so it occurred to me that some of you may wonder, "what's the best way to cook a steak inside?"
The best advice I ever got was from our local butcher, Acme Meats! It's fail proof and always gets top rating from my hubby!
I love the Sear-Roast method. As the name implies, you're going to sear your steak, and then you are going to roast it. I find this cuts down on some of the smoke and gives you that just off the grill greatness...or at least close to it.
First comes the fun part; pick your perfect steak. This always comes down to personal preference, but which ever you choose, ideally you want it marbled and cut nice and thick.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, which is probably as hot as you can get it. Also, set your steaks out on the counter (on the butcher paper or a cutting board) so they can come to room temperature.
Now we season. Pat them dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle them with salt (generously, but don't go too crazy) on one side. Coarsely grind some black pepper onto that same side. With your fingertips, gently press the salt and pepper into the meat. Flip each steak over and repeat. I like to keep it cool with the seasoning and let the meat speak for its self.
Get a skillet hot on the stovetop, pour in just enough high-heat burning oil such as Parthena or Camelina to put a thin film over the surface of the pan, and sear your steaks for four minutes or so on one side. Ideally you'd do this on a seasoned, oiled, fiercely hot cast-iron skillet; however, if you don't have one of these, it's perfectly OK to use a fiercely hot stainless-steel skillet instead. In any event, you need a very hot, oven-proof pan
Four minutes have gone by, the smoke detectors are going off, the kids are yelling, the dogs barking and now your steaks are crispy, sizzling and caramelized brown on one side. It's time to flip those steaks over, immediately stick the entire skillet in the oven, and set a timer for four minutes. Maybe open a window too.
When the timer goes off, put on an oven mitt, remove the skillet from the oven, remove the steaks from the skillet, put the steaks on a plate, pour the liquid from the skillet over them, and tent them with aluminum foil. And now just let the juices do their thing while they rest and you wait.
Hopefully by now your house is smoke free and you can celebrate the fact that your having a steak dinner and know that winter can't last forever. Spring is coming---hang in there!
Want to cut down on smoke? Reduce your pan heat and still obtain a decent sear.
To roast or not to roast? Once the steak hits the pan, flip it every minute, for about eight to ten minutes, depending on how thick the cut is and how well done you want it. Don't forget that your steak will keep cooking during the resting period.
This method works best for me, so do what works for you.
EEK!! Never thought I'd be so excited to go shopping. 
