From the Kitchen : Spiced Steak with all the Trimmings

What if you are one of the guys that rather than instead of pulling pranks to your special lady friend, but rather want to use this opportunity to surprise her? If you are clueless in the kitchen but your sense of humour is up to the test, a good old fashion steak is your best bet.

Steak is essentially pan fried beef which is seared to a certain "done-ness", and it is really simple to execute. And being so simple, there are many ways you can make it, and the options you can select for your side dishes are boundless.

This recipe is specially tailored for kitchen dunces, but I guess no recipe is too unimpressive if the food turns out tasty. Here is my take to a good old fashion steak with a selection of trimmings. 

Spiced steak

Steak approx 200 gm

Seasoning:

Garlic salt

Onion powder

Cayenne pepper

crushed dried herbs

Butter and oil for cooking

Steps:

1. Wash the beef and pat dry. 

2. In a separate bowl, mix all the seasoning ingredients. Once everything is well incorporated, rub it onto the steak. There is no hard and fast rule as to the ratio. 

Specks of flavour

3. Leave the beef to soak the flavours of the seasoning for at least 30 mins. The longer the better.

4. Heat up a pan and pour some oil and butter. Add the oil first to prevent the butter from burning. Note that the pan MUST be hot, and close to smoking before the cooking begins.

5. Place the meat on the hot pan and let the pan do the work. The pan must release a sizzle. If it does not, it means that it is too cold. Turn down the gas a little midway through cooking.

Let the grilling begin!

6. After 2.5 mins, flip the steak and let the other side cook for a minute. For a 200 gm steak, this gives me a medium rare outcome. Do change the cooking time if you want it to me more solid, or rare. 

7. Leave it to rest after cooking and you are done!

An edible portrait? 

Of course, a great meal is not built on cow alone. Here are a few simple recipes for side dishes to add more buzz to your steak. 

Trimmings 101:

A. Fried mushrooms: 

Simple but good food does not need anything else but flavour. 

One of my favourite toppings is stir fried mushrooms and it is very simple to make. Just add a handful of fresh diced mushrooms into the pan that is smothered in beef fat, and add a clove of diced garlic and a spoonful of butter. Stir fry until golden and you are done. 

The type of mushrooms to be used is up to you. Buttons, ceps or portobello, its up to you. But of course, it must be a "meaty" mushroom. As such enokitake is a no no. Shitakes do work well though, but can be a bit to strong smelling to some. For this round, I used brown buttons. 

B. Mash potatoes:

I honestly think keeping the skins on makes it better.

A classic for most beef dishes, this is also an easy dish to make, although somewhat tedious. It is essentially getting a few boiled potatoes together and mashing them with some butter, cream or milk, and a little salt and pepper until it becomes smooth. As the density of potatoes are usually inconsistent, ratio with it comes to dairy and potato does change from time to time. 

Pro tip: as potatoes take a long time to cook, I suggest that you start boiling them first while you prepare your steaks and other sides. Also, get floury potatoes like russets or King Edwards. Waxy ones like new potatoes will never break down. And never do mean NEVER! But all is not lost as this next recipe will save the day.

C. Sauteed new potatoes

If you inevitably got yourself a bunch of new potatoes, you can salvage them by sauteing the boiled new potatoes in some butter, garlic, onions, chive and peas. Although its not mash potatoes, you still get a very delicious side dish of sauteed new potatoes. Do note that I do not have pictures of this as I had the right type (or wrong type) of spuds. I just think this is a necessary inclusion in case of a culinary accident. Still a more reliable insurance than your medical coverage with 50 clauses. 

For my rendition, I placed the potatoes at the bottom of the steak and placed my mushrooms as a topping. With a boiled egg and a cucumber and tomato salad, I do think this is a plate fit for a king. 

Gravely satisfying