June 17 – June 23, 2024

Monday:              Pasta Putanesca

Tuesday:              Graduation Party for Freddy, Jack and Finn at PFC

Wednesday:      Cape Cod Chopped Salad – Juneteenth

Thursday:            Summer Vegetable Pasta

Saturday:             Margherita Pizza

Sunday:                Delmonico Steak, Sauteed Corn, Watermelon Salad, Tomato-Cheddar Toasts

The Rest of the Dinner (Story)

Last week we shared a recipe which can turn any ripe, unmealy tomato, into a smashing appetizer.  And the point of the appetizer was to introduce a typical summer dinner.  And, even though we are having an atypically hot summer in Pittsburgh, things have cooled off enough that, last Sunday, Hilda and Tim joined us for one of those dinners and we had drinks and the whole dinner on the porch – with the fans on, it was pleasant.

Now, strictly speaking, you can add any form of protein and some corn to those tomato-cheddar cheese toasts from last week.  But if you’re having good friends over for dinner, how about splurging for a steak?

What’s that?  You’re afraid to cook a serious steak for guests?  Terrified that the ‘rare’ police will find that you have violated the unwritten rules of carnivorous eating?  And, if you’re going to cook that steak correctly, how can you talk with your guests or handle the other dishes needed to serve a good dinner?

Well, fear no more – this week we’ll give you Stewart’s guide to flawless dinner party steak.  Next week, we’ll share two wonderful sides (corn and watermelon/cucumber salad) that fit the equatorial heat wave sweeping over what used to be known as the ‘temperate’ zone.  I am tempted, at this point, to insert my standard explainer on the difference between climate and weather, but I’ve discovered over the years that no one listens to me except Greta Thunberg and then she camps out in our front yard to protest, throws paint on the azaleas and destroys local property values.  And I might be okay with that, if she were one of those beautiful, blond Swedish women.  Alas, she is not and she is disturbingly short (4’11”) for a Scandinavian.  If he weren’t already married, I’d introduce her to Robert Reich – but, wait, we were talking about steak.

The secret to cooking steak correctly is four-fold:

First, buy the correct thickness for the type of steak you want to cook.  If you’re feeling flush, I’d go for a 2” or 3” thick Delmonico or Strip Steak.  You can save some money by getting a flank steak.  Flank steaks are maybe 3/4” thick at their thickest part and taper town to 1/4” near the thinnest end.  (Skirt steaks and hanger steaks are in the same category as the flank steak).

Second, use the correct heat and method for cooking the steaks – Thick cuts:  Porterhouse, Delmonico,     Rib-eye should be par-cooked (aka reverse seared) at a low temperature before searing them to create a dark brown crust.  Flank steaks and their cousins, should be cooked quickly over high heat. 

Third, let the steaks rest for 10 minutes or longer and then slice them (against the grain for the flank steak and its cousins).

Fourth, buy an instant-read thermometer.  You will never be caught overcooking steak, if you do this.

The recipe below is for a thick steak – you can find recipes online for a flank steak.  We love flank steak – giving it a good marinade (4-12 hours) before cooking will make it irresistible.  But a flank steak that is simply salted and peppered still packs a wallop of beefy flavor.

And what about that promise to relax and enjoy your guests in the midst of this steak challenge?

The secret here is to par cook the steak ahead of time – then you only have 10 minutes or less searing the steak to a dark brown crust, to finish the meal.  Plenty of time to boil corn, create a watermelon salad and catch up with your guests.

Company Steak

(This is for rib-eye, Delmonico, Porter House – not for the quick-cooking flank, hanger or skirt steak)

Remove the steak from the refrigerator an hour or more before you’re going to cook it.  Salt it on both sides and place it on a rack set inside a sheet tray – this allows the hot air in the oven to flow all around the steak.

You’re going to need 20 to 40 minutes in a 275 F oven to bring a thick steak to 125 F.  At this temperature you will have cooked the inside to just below medium-rare.  Remove the steak from the oven and set aside – loosely covering with aluminum foil until ready to finish it on a grill or in a cast-iron skillet.  Make the other dishes, greet your guests and fix them up with a cocktail, read War and Peace – the steak will be fine sitting there for an hour or two.

Note:  Start the coals or turn on your gas grill 20 minutes before you’re ready to finish cooking the steak.  You want to build up a lot of heat for searing.  Back-up plan:  It threatened to rain last Sunday night, and then, it went beyond threatening and actually rained.  Since you can’t cook on a charcoal grill in the rain, I had placed a cast-iron skillet in a 500 F oven to get it hot enough to sear the steak in case the grill wasn’t available.

About 20 minutes before serving, place the steak on a hot grill or in a sizzling hot skillet and sear, turning occasionally, until you get a dark brown sear on both sides.  (About 10 minutes – but use that instant read thermometer – you’re looking for an internal temperature of between 130 and 135 F.

Let the steak rest for 10 minutes while you organize the rest of the meal, allow your guests to finish their fist-fight over the election or tell each other about their latest round of golf.

Slice the steak and serve.