Simple Tips for a Classic Meal

There is nothing like a classic steak dinner, it's easy, quick and tastes delicious. We all have ways in which we make this classic meal taste delicious and I thought I would share mine with you. I usually like to grill my steaks but when it's dark and cold outside, I prefer to cook my steaks in a cast iron pan. You get a nice crust on the steak and basting it in butter really brings out the flavor. Yes, butter makes everything taste better. Remember to bring your steaks to room temperature and season them well with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and I always use a little Worcestershire sauce. You want to start out by getting your pan nice and hot, then I add a little oil. I always cook with olive oil because it's better for you and although some say it doesn't stand up to the heat as well as other oils, I find that a good extra virgin olive oil works great. Once you add your steaks you should hear that sweet sizzling sound. If you don't hear a sizzle, your pan isn't hot enough. Once I get one side of the steak seared, I turn it over and add a good two to three tablespoons of butter. I also add herbs from the garden and a smashed garlic clove. Then you start basting your steak in the delicious herb and garlic infused butter. Is your mouth watering yet? Make sure you watch the temperature of your meat. If the steaks are thick, you may need to put them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes after they are nicely brown on both sides. Once the steaks are done, be sure to let them rest so that the juices stay inside the steak. When my steaks are resting, I usually throw in some Vidalia onions and/or mushrooms in the hot pan and let them soak up all the juices. When caramelizing onions, add a little vinegar, I use champagne vinegar, but red wine works too. It really brings out the flavor.

Now for the sides. I love a good mashed potato with my steak. Make sure you dice your potatoes at relatively the same size so they cook evenly and add salt to the water. Make sure that you drain the potatoes and let them sit for a few minutes so that all of the moisture steams out, otherwise your potatoes may taste watery. While the potatoes are draining, I add butter to the hot pan and let it brown. Brown butter is delish! There's a couple of ways you can make your mashed potatoes, If you like really smooth mashed potatoes, use a ricer to get out all of the lumps. I like a few chunks in my mashed potatoes and so I usually hand mash them and add either chicken broth or milk. Both ways are good. And now for my tip, I squeeze some ranch dressing in the potatoes, it adds extra flavor. If you don't have ranch dressing a little mayonnaise works too.. My other go to side, is an arugula or mixed green salad with walnuts, diced apples, and feta or goat cheese. My favorite dressing for this salad from the bottle is Ken's Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette. And there you have it, my simple tips for a classic steak dinner. Feel free to share some of your tips.