There really is nothing like a great steak and a good glass of Cabernet. A made in heaven pair, by any account. But finding a go-to, quick and easy way to whip up a really great steak can often seem daunting and it’s not always convenient to fire up a grill.
The key is a cast iron skillet heated to smoking hot. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, are you insane? Just kidding! Any skillet works so long as it’s oven safe to at least 500° and NOT non-stick. Lodge makes a great, affordable 10 inch skillet but you can find old treasures at garage sales or thrift stores. Mine was my mothers and is older than I am. It’s a beautiful thing.
If you’re not sure how well seasoned your pan is, add a tiny drizzle of canola or grapeseed oil. Ready to get cooking?
This is not an absolute measurement on the seasoning, more of a baseline. Use more or less pepper as you choose. Toss in some crushed garlic and a couple more knobs of butter when you pop into the oven. Then baste the steaks for a minute before transferring to the cutting board. The point is, this is a foundation to build your own perfect steak from.
I paired this up recently with some grilled asparagus and a yummy Benjamin Darnault Côtes du Rhône 2020. The rich, jammy fruit-forward red really works beautifully with steak and is a must-have hot off the grill companion. A great Cabernet is a delight as well and a super treat is a luscious Chateunuf-du-Pape. Whoa, I sound fancy! Seriously though, a good rich red will make this steak sing all the more.
ENJOY!