Pilot

Today's challenge: steak! Rib-eye to be exact! Alton Brown started the series with steak because he wanted to - . . . OK, I gotta come clean guys.
I started this challenge at the beginning of the year. In fact I've cooked this dish a few times already and I let my confidence get the better of me.

I started today's challenge by watching the first Good Eats episode and honed in on Mr. Brown telling me to get my cast-iron pan as hot as possible, so that I can get a nice sear on my steak. I learned that we sear proteins to get the Maillard reaction. As heat is applied to food, new flavor compounds get created and break down resulting in tasty reaction flavors! Don't believe the hype! Searing isn't meant to keep juices in protein.

Get that pan hot!

I was on a mission. I needed to get that pan as hot as possible, so I turned the oven to its highest setting, 550˚ F. As I waited for the pan, I prepared my steak by seasoning with salt and pepper and brushing it with veggie oil.

The oil will get into all of the crevices of the steak for a good sear.

OK, time for the moment I had been waiting for, the sear. I carefully placed the steak on the pan and voila!

Looks nice doesn't it?

After a good thirty seconds on each side, I placed the pan in the oven to finish it off. Alton says that if I try to cook the steak on the stove, the outside will become a "black shell" by the time the insides are cooked to the right temperature. By cooking in the oven, a gentle even heat can be applied to all sides of the steak while keeping the Maillard brown we've worked so hard to get.

After a few minutes on each side I opened the oven and was met with a plume of smoke. I thought "This must be where that smoky flavor comes from!" and transferred the steak to my resting rig.

I hope Alton Brown approves of my resting rig. He uses a colander and a bowl in his book.

Gasp! My heart hit the floor. The outsides got burnt to a crisp! I immediately checked the oven temperature and realized I forgot to turn the heat down after getting the pan as hot as I could.

LESSON #1: MONITOR YOUR TEMPERATURES. ALWAYS.

How could this happen? I cooked this dish to perfection last time! A 50˚ F difference over just a few minutes is all it took! Disappointed, I knew I had to truck on to learn the taste and texture of  a  550˚ steak.

Ingredients for the sauce.

Hands burnt from the oil splashing around on such a hot pan, I let the pan cool for a minute and began work on the cognac pan sauce while my steak rested.

In went the cognac followed by a good whisk to get the flavorful brown, err, in my case black, bits from the Maillard reaction into the sauce. I added blue cheese and followed that with butter and ended up straining the sauce to get the charred bits out.

As I plated the dish, I made another discovery. The steak came out all lumpy! I was so focused on getting a steak of even thickness that I completely ignored the fact that my steak had a thick line of fat and connective tissue running through it!

LESSON #2: CONSIDER THE LOCATION OF GRISTLE WHEN BUYING STEAK

Is it just me or can pictures make food look a lot better?

With the steak fully rested, it was time to sit down and face the music. I took a bite. Flashbacks of Tad's Steakhouse overwhelmed me with disappointment. It was bland! I must not have used enough seasoning. I think I used about a 1/2 teaspoon per side of steak, but I think I'll need more next time.

LESSON #3: CONCERNING STEAK, BE GENEROUS WITH SALT TO BRING OUT FLAVOR

Medium rare.

At least the inside was cooked alright. The cognac sauce was also way better than before. I used brandy in the past since I didn't have cognac available and must not have used enough of it because this sauce wasn't as sharp and had depth. It didn't take my mind off of the overwhelming taste of char and the lack of seasoning though. It just goes to show that making a dish well once does not mean I know everything about the dish.

I was so embarrassed by this steak, it took me a while to get to writing this entry. But that's the point of the blog right? I see a rematch with steak in my future. Have you guys cooked steak or messed up a dish you thought you are good at? Chime in and comment below!