Steaks – Cast Iron Style

Happy Thursday! This week has been seriously nutty. Seems like it is so busy for me. Maybe it is because everyone is just getting back to work from the holidays, which always causes all sorts of pandemonium. Or at least it does at my office. I feel like getting back to my daily grind and schedule, I guess I didn’t realize how busy I really am. Craziness! I feel like there is just so much going on this month…so many birthday’s (including my own), traveling for work, young professional events, celebrations. GAH! All families have those months where all the birthday’s/anniversary’s/big news seems to happen all at once. January is that month for my family, June places a close second.

This new years I decided to make a really huge big dinner. I thought why not ring in the new year with a big juicy steak and some hearty sides. I personally have stopped eating a lot of meat. As I get older I just tend to not enjoy it as much as I used to. When I lived in the Midwest, you couldn’t pry a steak from my fingers and now I would willing pass a steak up for chicken, turkey, or fish. I am not sure if that is a taste bud change as I am getting older? Or possibly it is because the meat isn’t quite as good out here on the east coast (KUDOS to the seafood though, wowza!)? Not sure. I mean, when I was younger I polished off a 18oz steak, baked potato, AND ice cream and had absolutely no problem with it. Now, the thought of an 18oz steak kind of makes me ill. haha

Anyway, just because I don’t always want steak..that doesn’t mean that people around me want to sacrifice a nice steak once in a while. I made an exception and made some steak and lamb for New Years Eve. I do not particularity enjoy lamb, but I will cook it. I think it is more of the thought of what it is than the taste that I don’t like. Same goes for veil. I just can’t do it, haha.

Now that I have introduced you into my weird food life about meat and all…let’s get down and dirty with the actual food shall we?

Ingredients for Steaks/Lamb:

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• Filet Mignon
• Lamb – whatever cut you like

Take your butter, garlic, and parsley and mix them together to make like a spread with it. It is mush easier to work with when the butter is soft.

Now I decided to use a cast iron skillet for this because I think it makes the steaks taste much better. Just a personal opinion. What I do is LIGHTLY coat the skillet with olive oil and then rub it around the inside of the skillet so every inch is covered with it. I put the skillet on the stove and put it on medium heat. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 475°. Yup! After you pan sear the meat you are going to put them into the oven.

Salt and pepper each side of your steak for seasoning. Once your skillet comes to temperature. Place in your meat into the skillet and let sear for about 4-5 minutes. Take your butter mixture and melt it just slightly in a microwave or pan. Then pour a portion of the butter onto the meat.

Flip the meat and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Put the remaining butter mixture on top of meat that has been seared. Place the skillet into the oven and let the lamb and steak cook for the rest of the way. I personally prefer just a little pink in my steak. This took about 10-12 minutes for it to have just a slight pink in it. If you prefer your steaks more rare, just reduce the cook time in the oven.

Once you take the meat out of the oven, let it rest for a good 5 minutes before you put it on a plate to be served.

Those are some pretty pieces of meat if you ask me! The rice on the side was just a boxed rice that I used from the grocery store. They are super simple and only take about 30 minutes to make. The green bean recipe that are on the side there are going to come in a later post because they are super awesome and just have to share them.