RECIPE MAGIC!

No Rub. No Marinade.

This NYTimes recipe is a major departure from commonly held wisdom on cast iron cooking a steak. We've tried it and think you should, too. It features a boneless cut, dried extremely well, then seared in a ferociously hot cast iron pan. But the real secret is in the rest of the cooking. Instead of salting the meat beforehand, salt the pan first, not the meat. And another difference? Flip the steak early, and frequently until it's dark brown and rare on the inside. Then set it aside to rest for at least 15 minutes while you prepare peas and asparagus. Serve with the freshest, most robust extra virgin olive oil in your pantry, 

You'll need a hard working stove top fan for this recipe. If you don't have one, take your cast iron pan (or alternative) out to your grill. Use the same directions as for kitchen cooking.

INGREDIENTS: 
1 tsp coarse Kosher salt
1 or 2 boneless beef steaks (2 lbs) 1 inch thick (strip, rib-eye, or flank)
 Freshly ground black pepper 
2 cup frozen peas
1/2 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed
2 tbsp fresh extra virgin olive oil (more for drizzle)
1/2 tbsp Garlic olive oil
1 tbsp chicken stock
1 tsp Sicilian Lemon white balsamic

    DIRECTIONS:
    Pat meat dry, then rest on a plate lined with paper towels, to continue drying. As necessary, replace paper towels with dry ones. Place a heavy skillet, best is cast iron, and sprinkle lightly and evenly with about 1/2 tsp salt. Turn heat to high under pan. Heat to smoking hot, about 5 minutes. Pat both sides of steak dry again. Place in pan and sizzle for 1 minute. Using tongs flip it, moving the raw side around in the pan so both sides are salted. Now press down gently to ensure even contact with the pan. Keep cooking, flipping every 30 seconds. After turning a few times, sprinkle remaining salt on steak, and pepper if using. When steak has developed a dark brown crust, roughly 4 minutes in total, check for doneness. An instant read thermometer should show 120 degrees. Remove steak to a cutting board and tent lightly with foil. Repeat the above if cooking two steaks. Reduce heat to medium. Deglaze pan with chicken stock and balsamic to remove sticky parts from base of pan. Then add olive oils to pan. Whisk until heated. Pour in peas and place asparagus across peas. Cook 4 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper as desired. TIP: When serving flank steak, cut across the grain.

    *NYTimes Cooking