Cast Iron Seared Steak with Black Garlic Butter

While we all wait for the weather to get a little warmer, today's recipe is designed to be cooked indoors on your cast iron pan. While everyone is probably craving a little of that summer "steak on the barbecue" smell, you can get fantastic results cooking indoors if you have a cast iron pan. This 20-minute recipe is done on the stove top in one pan. It's one of our favourite ways to cook steak because its a quick and convenient way to do it. 

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Cooks Tip: Take the steaks out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to allow them to come to room temperature. See additional Cooks Tips at the end of recipe.

Ingredients...

• 2 lbs strip loin (2), rib eye or top sirloin steaks (each about 1 1/4-inch thick), at room temperature
• 1 tbsp neutral oil such as grape seed or canola
• Kosher or sea salt, about 1 1/2 tsp
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Compound Black Garlic Butter

• 4 - 6 cloves black garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Course sea salt, such as Maldon

Method...

1. Black Garlic Butter: In a bowl, using a fork or with a hand mixer, combine black garlic and butter. Mash until blended then shape into a log. Place on a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll up, twisting the ends of the parchment to make a "cracker" shape. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Butter can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen up to 3 months).
2. Steak: Thoroughly pat steak dry with paper towels. Just before cooking, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
3. Place cast iron pan on stove top and heat to medium-high. (Do not put any oil in pan yet!).  Once the pan is good and hot (wave your hand over the pan to feel the heat), then add the oil and swirl pan to coat. Once the oil is hot, add the steaks. Sear the steaks about 4 minutes, (try not to move them) until a brown crust has form on the bottom of the steak. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until a second crust has formed on the other side. Using tongs, turn steak on its sides to render the white fat and sear the edges (1 minute per edge).
4. Reduce heat to medium and immediately add 2 tbsp of the Black Garlic butter. Spoon the butter sauce over the steak, tilting the pan to get your melted butter onto a spoon. Continue spooning the sauce over the steak for a minute or until the steak is about 5-10 degrees from the desired doneness (see below) using a meat thermometer inserting it into the thickest part of the centre of the steak. (The temperature will continue to rise another 5-10 degrees while steaks rest).
5. Transfer steak to cutting board, loosely cover and rest 10 minutes before slicing or serving. Spoon extra garlic-butter sauce over steak slices.

Steak Doneness

• Medium-Rare 145 F
• Medium 160 F
• Medium Well 170 F

PRO TIPS FOR BEST SEARED STEAK

• Preheat cast iron pan 5 minutes before adding steak for a great sear with good colour and flavour.
• Press steak down just as it hits the pan to ensure steak makes contact with the surface of the pan.
• Loosely cover and rest steaks on a cutting board 10 minutes before slicing so they don’t dry out.
• Don’t slice too thin, or the steak cools too quickly.
• Slice steak against the grain and at an angle for a steakhouse presentation