Best Steak Ever (No Grill Involved)

So, to me the biggest pain in the ass about living in an apartment is not being able to have a grill. I can live with the 1973 oven and the "two t-shirts and it's full" washing machine, but not having a grill is painful. I'm a man, damnit. I want to do manly things, things like cook raw meat over an open flame. I want to be covered in that sweet perfume of charcoal and dash of mesquite wood chips. However, I can not be a complete man living in an apartment.

So, I had to find an alternative path to the land of manhood. I wanted steak. I wanted a baked potatoe. I wanted a huge slab of medium rare meat to tear my teeth into and not pay $100 for it (or break the rules of the apt. complex). So, I decided to learn how to broil. My new favorite cooking show is Good Eats with Alton Brown. Now, I've watched him forever, but last week he jumped over my beloved Paula and became top dog.

Now, I've grown up believing that there is no other way to cook steak than on a grill. It's like calling pig cooked outside of eastern NC BBQ - it just ain't right. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Alton was there to help. During this one episode, he cooked a pan seared ribeye that instantly made me salivate. Not only did I drool with delight, but the whole process took less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Below is the recipe, adjusted to my findings.

Rib Eye, inch thick cut @ 1lb of lovely marbled meat
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper
Canola Oil
Cast Iron or oven friendly pan (It's worth the $ to go buy a cast iron.)

Take the pan and throw it in the oven and turn it on to 500 degrees and turn a stovetop burner on high. While that's heating up, lightly cover the steak in canola oil and cover generously in kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. When the oven hits 500, take the pan out (carefully!), place it on the burner and drop the steak onto the pan away from you (don't get burned). DO NOT TOUCH THE STEAK FOR 40 SECONDS! after 40 seconds, flip and repeat - DO NOT TOUCH! After you have seared the second side, place the pan back into the oven for 2-3 minutes. Flip the steak and keep in the oven for 2-4 minutes (depending on your preference). Take the steak out of the oven, place a plate and cover with aluminum foil for 2-3 minutes. Take the foil off, grab a knife and fork, and begin to feast.

That's the recipe. It really does take less than 20 minutes and there is hardly any cleanup. If you want to make this a really manly meal, you can cook a baked potatoe before hand (large fork punctured potatoe covered in Olive oil and S&P in a 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes). My buddy Evan has a similiar recipe you could use.

Anyway, I whipped up two of these steaks with a baked potatoe and green beans for the Mrs, and we were both in heaven. So, I've learned that you can still be a man and eat steak not grilled on an open flame. You still can't call pork covered in tomato sauce BBQ, That just ain't right.