Perfect Steak

My secret: Dipping the steak in a combination of butter & oil, coating it with a generous layer of kosher salt  & cracked black pepper, & searing it over the hottest possible fire.

Fire up the grill until it's seriously hot -- hot enough to sear the outside quickly and form a crust.

To me the goal -- the perfect steak -- is defined by the contrast between the charred exterior & the warm, juicy center - medium rare.

Filet Mignon (is the only steak I like) but I prepare New York strip steak same way
unsalted butter
corn oil
kosher salt
cracked black pepper

Melt the butter over medium-high heat & skim the milk solids from the surface. Set aside to cool.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator about 30 to 40 minutes before cooking. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the steaks to come to room temperature. Before grilling, I typically shape the steaks by gently pushing the sides into the center to create height. (height is typically more important than weight in my opinion)

Mix the oil & clarified butter on a large serving plate. Put the steaks into the oil-butter mix to coat each side, ( mixing oil with the butter helps it not to burn) then lift the steaks to allow the excess oil to drip off. (Make sure that the steaks don't have too much oil-butter mix on them, as this will create flare-ups on the grill.) Coat each side of the steaks with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. "You can't have too much salt on a steak," as it makes a great crust.  I like it just plain like this (sometimes i add a little garlic), but honestly most of the time i just like the simple flavor.

* I make a killer whiskey butter sauce & bernaise sauce, that I prefer vs. a bunch of spices on my steak.  Will share on a future post.

Place the meat on the hottest part of the grill. If at any time the grill flares up, move the steaks to the outside edge, returning them to the center when the flame dies down. Do not slide the steaks across the grill; gently pick them up with tongs. I have found the key is not to flip them around. Ultimately only flip the steaks 3 times, cooking each side twice for 3 minutes at a time (for a total cooking time of 12 minutes), to get a
med rare steak with adequate char.  I like to bring them in & finish in the oven, till the themometer reads 125.

Then key to let them rest without slicing into them about 10minutes or so.
Bon appetite!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Dipped Frozen Oreo Banana Bites

Bananas ready to eat 

1. Creamy Peanut Butter
2. Chocolate Bark or melting chocolate of choice
3. Crushed Oreo Cookies

Peel then cut bananas into 1 inch pieces.
Melt peanut butter in microwave until very soft.
Roll bananas into peanut butter then place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.
Place in freezer for 20 minutes or until peanut butter has firmed up.
 Melt chocolate according to package directions.
With spoons, dip bananas into chocolate and place back on the parchment paper.
 Press cookies into sides of bananas so they stick in the chocolate.

 Stick back into freezer until frozen, about 1 hour. Serve with toothpicks or just pop in your mouth!