What's that? I know it's not Saturday, but I'm filling in...and I know your head must be spinning now that we're abruptly off of Side Pocket Time and it's suddenly three days later. Take some breaths, we're going to be okay! You might want to check on your goldfish and clean your fridge, though.
When I was asked to fill in tonight, I didn't know what I was going to write about, but then I decided that one can't go wrong writing about dinner. And it's an excellent evening to talk about my dinner, because I'm having a rare (pun intended) treat tonight: steak and potatoes! And not just any steak...filet mignon!
Don't think I'm a big spender because I'm eating filet mignon tonight. I've actually had a hankering for steak for weeks, and only after eating on the cheap for a few weeks have I finally broken down and bought filet mignon. And I figured that $15 for two dinners' worth of filet mignon can be justified. Someday, when I'm a rich history Ph.D. (ROFLMAO), maybe I'll have it more often...
A nice cast iron skillet is perfect for this, since it retains heat well and is oven-safe. Before I get the meat in the skillet, I'm letting it rest on the counter for about an hour or so, until it gets down to room temperature. Then I'm lightly brushing canola oil (since it has a high smoke point) all over it, along with a very generous amount of salt and pepper. Looks like a ton, but close to half will come off in the pan.
Then, I'm getting the skillet nice and hot before I drop the meat in. To seal in that juicy goodness, I'm searing on all sides: 2-3 minutes on the top and bottom, then about a minute on the sides. I'm always so scared I'm going to burn the steak, but it hasn't happened yet.
This isn't necessary, but I'm adding about a tablespoon of butter to the pan now, along with a couple of sprigs of rosemary for flavor. Then, it goes into a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 5-7 minutes, or until it reaches the desired doneness. I like rare to medium rare, but what did you expect from somebody who eats congealed pig blood?
I always like some kind of potato with my steak, and the potato of the evening is steak fries. I just cut a large potato into thick fries and soaked them in water for 15 or 20 minutes to reduce the starch. Then, I mixed together 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. I added the patted-dry fries to the bowl and tossed to get an even coating, then put them in the oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, turning them over once. Add salt and pepper, and voila!
Here's the full plate. That ketchup is for the filet mignon...I'M KIDDING! And yes, I totally spooned that melted butter over the filet mignon. Why would I
not?
What's on your menu tonight?
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Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.
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