Anne's Fool-Proof Steak

I have a no-fail steak method that I love to use.  It is easy and works for all different kinds of cuts and thicknesses.  We used it this week on a wonderful locally grown new york strip steak (big enough to share!).

Here's the basic method:

- Season your steak and make sure it is room-temperature before cooking.  This is really important - don't skip this!
- Preheat your oven to 400.
- Heat a skillet on high heat.  When it is hot, add about a tablespoon of butter (more if needed for more steaks or a larger pan). 
- Sear both sides of your steak well.  This is the key to the whole process.  Once you put your steak down in the skillet, don't move it until you've gotten a good sear.  If you start flipping your steak around or moving it, you will not develop the tasty fond in your pan or get a proper sear on your meat.  One way to check if your meat is ready to turn is just to give it a little nudge with a pair of tongs.  If it moves easily, pick up a corner and check.  It should look like this:

- Sear on the second side, same as the first.

- Move the whole skillet into your preheated 400-degree oven.  Cook to desired doneness.  For this new york strip, which was nearly 2" thick, I cooked it for 6 minutes to medium rare.
- Let it rest!  A good rule of thumb is to let it rest for as many minutes as you cooked it.  Don't loose all the good juices you sealed in with the searing by cutting it too soon.
- You will have great flavors in your pan from the searing and cooking process, don't let them go to waste!  So, while the steak is resting, make your pan sauce - it can be as simple or complex as you like. 
(The basic process is: add whatever aromatics you want (onion, shallot, tomato paste), add a spash of wine and scrape up all the good bits from the pan, when the wine is mostly evaporated, add some stock and let it cook down to a sauce-y consistency.  Finish with a dab of butter.)

- Serve and enjoy!