Pan-Fried Steak

In this pan-fried steak recipe, you'll have a restaurant-quality steak in under 10 minutes. Pair it with a simple steak sauce and serve it with a classic side like roasted potatoes.

Serving Size: Serves 2

Ingredients:
• 2 strip steaks (about 1 inch thick)
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Bring the steaks to room temperature.
2. Heat a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. Season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Seconds before adding a steak, drop 1/2 teaspoon of the butter into the pan and immediately top with the steak. Repeat with the remaining steak. Sear for 3 minutes without moving the steak (to form a crust). Turn and cook for 2 minutes for rare or 3 to 4 for medium rare. Remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest on a board or platter for a few minutes before serving.

Steak Sauce
A good steak can stand on its own, but sometimes a sauce gives it that extra somethin'. To make this quick and easy pan sauce, you just need a little liquid and a thickener. Try a couple of these pairings: wine and mustard, Armagnac and blue cheese, or Scotch whisky and butter.

Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup liquid (wine, Cognac, Armagnac, Scotch, whiskey, vinegar, vermouth, red or white wine)
• 2 tablespoons thickener (butter, cream, creamy cheese, or mustard)

Directions:
1. Once the steak is removed from the pan, keep the heat on high and pour the liquid into the hot pan, then scrape up the golden crusty bits that have formed on the bottom. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes to reduce.
2. Swirl in a couple tablespoons of thickener and simmer for a minute more. Plate your steak (on a warm plate) and pour over the sauce. The choice of liquid and thickener is a matter of taste.

Source: From Mad Hungry, September 2010.