If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then these Steakhouse Steaks will win him a thousand times over. Every bit as juicy and decadent as the steakhouse version, this recipe couldn’t be easier to execute at home. The secret? Heat, and lots of it. Much like romance, really.
And like romance, this dish does require a certain amount of pre-planning. To begin, preheat the oven at 400° for at least an hour; this allows it to get nice and hot. Then enjoy a glass of wine with your Valentine – you have time, after all – before retrieving the steaks from the refrigerator to prep. You’ll need a cast iron skillet, large enough to hold both steaks; one that’s suitable for the oven as well. As you prep the steaks, keep an eye on the skillet – it, too, needs preheating.
Heat. Are you noticing a theme here?
The secret to the success of these steaks is getting a good sear on each side, including the ends. And because you can really attend to, at most, only two steaks at a time, this is the perfect dish for two: you and your Valentine.
As with love, you must be patient as you lovingly sear the steaks, ignoring the heat radiating from the stovetop. You must be precise, to some degree at least, and not allow your attention to wander. But most of all, you must be committed, because without the sear, the process is simply roasting, which is nothing like the steakhouse flavor that’s so easily within your grasp.
With dedication, commitment and an unwavering attention to detail, you can easily master this dish and impress your Valentine, or whomever you spend quality time with. Even if that someone is you. Table for one, or table for two, these steaks always satisfy.
- 2 8-10 ounce filet mignon
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- About an hour before dinner, preheat the oven to 400°.
- On the stove, preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat until water flicked onto the surface sizzles; about 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the steaks: blot each dry with a paper towel.
- Pour the oil into a shallow dish or plate, and lightly coat the steaks on all sides. Move steaks to a clean plate.
- Combine the salt and pepper and rub over the steaks, concentrating the rub on the top and bottom of each steak.
- Once the skillet is ready, sear the steaks, about 2 minutes per side, or until you can no longer stand the heat. Sear the edges, too.
- Dollap a tablespoon of butter atop each steak.
- Using a proven oven mit, carefully place the skillet into the oven and bake, starting at 8 minutes for rare, longer to your preference.
- When done, allow the steaks to rest for 10 minutes at room temperature on a plate covered in tin foil.
My husband’s favorite thing to eat is steak and we’ve been talking forever about needed a cast iron skillet. Guess I’ll be running out and buying one. These sound amazing.
Yes get one! You’ll use it for everything and love it forever.
This sounds great – I am officially getting out the cast iron skillet for this weekend!
I love my cast iron skillets – I mostly use Lodge, which I’ve seen at Target and Sur La Table.
Adding a cast iron skillet to me ‘must have’ list. I’ve never thought to put steaks in the oven. This is great though because I normally would use my George Foreman (which just died) or have to wait until my husband is town to use the grill.
Tonya I love my cast iron skillets and use them for so many things. They definitely can take a beating. Lodge makes great ones, pre-seasoned too.