Perfect Restaurant-Style Steak at Home-A Chef's Secrets Revealed!

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Have you ever wondered why that steakhouse steak always tastes just a little (or maybe a lot) better in the restaurant than at home? Wonder no more, my foodie friends! I am going to give you every restaurant's secrets in one simple, easy to follow set of instructions.

I will tell you up front, that unless you have a restaurant-grade cook top or grill in your home kitchen, it is near impossible to get restaurant results. The reason for this is because in a restaurant the stoves put out way more heat (55,000BTU) than a home unit does (12,000BTU). But take heart, I said "nearly impossible" not TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE!~!~!~!~!~!

The big trick is that you need a cast iron pan. They absorb heat so efficiently that they simply get hotter and hotter without degrading the pan in any way. You cannot do that with a nonstick pan-don't even try it! Click this link to see why: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/your-money/18shortcuts.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

If you need to learn about cast iron please click here: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/preparation/cleaning-seasoning-cast-iron-skillet-10000001178519/


Enough with the boring stuff...Here we go!

1) Buy you steaks. Sirloin steaks, ribeyes, tenderloins-any nice cut of meat will do for this. I recommend Grass-fed, or organic beef, but quite honestly I've done this with steaks I've bought at Costco with shockingly delicious results.

2) Once you remove them from the packaging, pat them dry with a few paper towels.

3)  Liberally season your steaks on both sides with your favorite seasoning salt. For the record I use Lawrey's because I once worked in a Steakhouse who's "secret seasoning" was just Lawrey's with added MSG: Please don't add MSG at home, you don't need it.

4) Stack 3-4 paper towels on a plate big enough to fit all the steaks without them touching each other. Place the seasoned steaks on the lined plate and place open (yes DO NOT WRAP THEM OR COVER THEM), on an empty shelf towards the bottom of the fridge.

5) Allow the steaks to 'dry-age' for 24-48 hours, flipping once mid-way through the drying process. Do not worry; if your fridge is clean, and I hope it is, your steaks will not contract any food-cooties. If your fridge is not clean then go clean it right now...with bleach, please.

6) Take your steaks out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature, this takes about 30 minutes.

7) Using your trusty cast iron skillet, ( If you don't have one then now would be a great time to stop reading and go buy one. Don't email me and tell me you can't find them, I just bought one at Target-so there! ) place it over high heat. Allow it to get smoking hot-literally it should be slightly smoky. Add your steaks, turn the heat down just a pinch, and cook 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, 4 minutes per side for medium. Be sure to only flip your steaks ONCE. Never, ever, ever, ever flip them more than that. Oh...and you MIGHT want to open a window and turn on the fan-this is very smoky and will set of your smoke detectors.

8) Once you have achieved your desired doneness, remove your steaks from your trusty cast iron skillet and allow them to rest, covered, for about 5 minutes. This allows the built-up pressure inside the steak to relax, so that when you cut into it all the juice stays in the steaks, and doesn't gush out onto your plate.

9) serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy that restaurant steak!!!