cooking a steak indoors (*Grill stance, still required)

I suppose its only right and fair that I offer all of you some sort of explanation.  At first, my posts were delayed because I was trying to think of a way to follow up that entry on snacksgiving (not an easy task, to be sure).  Then, we were a man short at work.  Then, we were a woman short at work, which just left john and I and one helper.  for six weeks. one day off per week.  all this on top of getting a house ready for a new babe (!!!!!!!:), you get the idea. sorry for the sparse postings, my friendlies, but alas, I am but a single dish in this cupboard we call life...

Soooooo, this is my first week with two days off and dagnabit, I'm fixin' to write a blog. about steak. and iron. and gravy.  so, I hope you all accept my apology and let us march on and STEAK our claim. Let us CAST aside these IRON shackles of occupational obligations. ok, i'll stop. let's get down to this...

 Just because grilling season is all but done, there is no reason you can't enjoy a nice steak. Cooking a steak indoors is something that everyone should know how to do and should do. often. I recommend picking up a cast iron pan for this, but any heavy skillet would probably work.  the reason i go for the cast iron is because they are super cheap and maintain their heat for a long time (perfect for getting a good sear on our steak).  You want to heat your skillet over med high heat until that sucker is starting to smoke.

 Season your meat (however you fancy.  I just use salt and pepper, because I'm going to cover these guys in some gravy) and drizzle it with a little olive oil.  You want to oil the meat instead of the pan, because if you added oil to that super hot pan, your house would look like tommy chong was in the next room.

 let your steak brown for about 3-4 minutes on the first side and take this time to season and oil the top sides of your steaks.  be patient, no peeking.  leaving these alone will ensure a better browning on each piece of meat.

 using a pair of tongs, give them a flip and cook them for another 3-4 minutes.  Now, here is where a good thing can turn bad in a hurry.  If you like your steak on the rarer side, these are probably done enough for you. unless of course, you have a really thick piece of meat.  the steaks you see above were actually only two steaks that I cut down to make cooking go quickly.  If you prefer the thicker option that's just fine, but you will probably need some additional cooking, either in a 400F oven, or just longer in the skillet.  how do you tell when it is done to your liking?  you can use one of these and then consult this, but I just do this.

ok, its gravy time. Gravy is ridiculously easy to make and I am often surprised that more people don't do it. What were making here is basic beef gravy. its not a reduction or a jus or a glaze. this is just gravy.  and its what I was in the mood for.  after you have removed the meat from your skillet, turn the heat to a little lower mark, and then add a tablespoon or two of butter and let it melt, scraping the beef goodies from the bottom of the pan.  then, however much butter you added, add the same amount of flour and whisk it together until it starts to darken.

Now, add some beef stock or broth (I think i used about half of a 14 oz. can here in this pic) and whisk to combine with the butter and flour.  Let this mixture bubble up and reduce, whisking from time to time, until it reaches the thickness that you desire.

By now your meat has rested for about 5 minutes (perfect timing) and you are ready to plate up those beef treats and dig in like a BAWS! If you've never made a steak inside, I hope that you all give this one a go.  I can get down with a grilled steak, don't get me wrong, but i like the option you have with this recipe to take the juices and fat that you lose during grilling and make a tasty sauce for which to bathe your beef with.  I've missed writing this blog these past few months, hope to not take that big of a break again. thanks.

DISH recommends: getting acquainted with ol' "casty".  Lately, these are the only pans that I use.  you can pick one up from a place like tjmaxx or target or even a yard sale. keep them well-lubed and you will never go back to nonstick.
I was going to post a recipe but I thought that might be kind of redundant.  I still can if you prefer that method, but I'll just leave as is for now...
*in case you are not familiar with grill stance, I thought this was a pretty good representation.