Who needs to fire up the barbecue?
You don’t have to wait for a pleasant night outdoors when you cook this steak.
As Toronto chef Corbin Tomaszeski reveals in his attractive cookbook, In Good Company: Easy Recipes for Everyday Gatherings (Figure 1 Publishing, $34.95), chefs cook steaks on regular stoves in cast-iron frying pans.
Have meat at room temperature before cooking, suggests the chef, who is a regular TV performer. He likes to rub the meat with a blend of freshly ground spices and seeds, or an herbgarlic-shallot mixture.
Butter helps the searing so you end up with a rich, brown crust, he advises. An Alberta farm boy who had a Polish grandmother as coach, Tomaszeski also trained in French cuisine.
His use of vegetables, on their own or with meat or fish, are lively. A brunch dish is eggs cooked with chorizo sausage, potatoes, onions and red peppers. Sweet potatoes are roasted with onions, dill and caraway seeds.
Desserts are lusty, too: a strawberry tarte Tatin, ginger crème brûlée, or banana chocolate bread pudding. This is a likable book.
SPICY T-BONE STEAK
Serves: 4 Rub:
1/2 small cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) black peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) cumin seeds 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) mustard seeds 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) whole cloves 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) fennel seeds 4 cardamom pods, seeds only 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) sea salt Steak:
2 T-bone steaks, each 16 oz (454 g), at room temperature
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
Rub: Combine cinnamon, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, fennel seeds, and cardamom seeds in a spice mill and grind until coarse, or use a mortar and pestle.
Steak: Rub the seasonings blend on both sides of the steaks. In a large cast-iron frying pan over high heat, heat oil until it begins to smoke. Carefully lower steaks into the pan and sear for 4 minutes, turning the meat frequently, until dark golden on both sides.
Add butter and baste steaks. Do not burn meat; lower heat to medium-high if necessary. Cook another 3 minutes for mediumrare (internal temperature: 120125 degrees F/50 C).
Transfer steaks to heated plates, let rest 5 minutes, slice and serve.