Harnessing the power of cast iron and dry heat, these rib eyes are juicy, tasty and beautiful! Word of warning though, the skillet will be about as hot as the surface of the sun… please be careful! Nothing ruins a perfect steak like a careless moment or casual brush with a 500+ degree cast iron skillet! I also suggest you clean your vent-a-hood filter before beginning. While the canola oil has about the highest burn temperature of any oil, there will be smoke.

Pan Seared Rib Eye

Ingredients

1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 1/2-inch thick
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature.

CAUTION: Pan is really really HOT! Please use proper oven mitts before proceeding! Barely touching a 500+ degree cast iron skillet will leave a burn! Grabbing it with a handtowel is just asking for trouble!

When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. For medium, add a minute to both sides)

Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.

Red Wine – Mustard Pan Sauce

Ingredients

2 medium Shallots, finely minced
1/2 cup Dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 cup Stock (beef, veal, or chicken), low-sodium canned
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves, minced
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

After pan-searing, remove meat from pan leaving fond (the naughty brown bits in pan leftover from cooking) and residual fat that it was cooked in. Add shallots to pan and cook over low heat , stirring frequently until shallots are translucent.

Raise heat to high, add wine, stock, and bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir mixture, scraping to loosen any flavorful browned bits stuck to pan and incorporate them into sauce. Boil until liquid is reduced by half.

Reduce heat to medium, add balsamic vinegar, Dijon mjustard, and cook until reaching sauce consistency you desire. It should be thick enough to coat back of a regular spoon.

Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted and sauce is thickened, smooth, and glossy. Add fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste, Spoon sauce over cooked steaks and serve immediately.