It Is So Worth It When You Have A "Great" Steak

Let's talk about steak.  My husband loves a good steak.  Unfortunately it has become harder and harder to find a good quality steak.  Years ago I used to buy a whole NY strip from a local butcher.  I would get 18-20 steaks that were vacuum sealed for the freezer.  They were delicious.  Then my husband and I moved to Florida.  The search for good steak was on.  It was very hard to find a good one.  A few years later we ended up in Tennessee and the steaks weren't any better.  They were tough and expensive.  Last year I decided to buy some local grass fed beef, T-bones and NY strips, to try.  That was  a huge mistake.  They were extremely expensive and very tough.  I used to joke and say that we needed fat cows for tender steaks and living in the mountains we don't have fat cows.  We have muscular cows since they trek the mountains all day long, therefore our local meat is tough.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So now...I have finally found a good steak for my husband.  It costs more but it is worth it to have a great steak once in awhile then have a so so steak every week or so.  I now buy Filet Mignon when it is either marked down or on sale.

My favorite way to cook a steak is using my cast iron grill pan.  It is "the best".  My Grill Pan  This is how you make a great steak using a grill pan.  It can be used inside on a gas stove or outside on a camp stove.

First brush the pan with a little oil.  Put the pan on the burner and get it really hot.  You want that steak to sizzle when it hits the pan.  By the way, I found out the hard way, don't leave the handle mitt on while you cook.  I burned mine.  It is great to use when you need to move the pan as the cast iron handle gets extremely hot just put it on after you have cooked your food.

Next take your steaks out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.

In this case I have one thicker steak and one smaller one.  I add the thicker one first with two thick slices of onions.

Put a lid on it and cook for about 4 minutes on medium high heat.  Do not mess with the meat.  Don't stick a fork in or poke at it.  You want that meat juicy and tender.

After the 4 minutes I added my smaller filet mignon and put the lid back on.  After six minutes I flipped both steaks and the onion slices.

Put the lid back on and grill for 6 more minutes.  The larger filet mignon cooked for a total of 16 minutes and the smaller one was cooked for a total of 12 minutes.  This is for a medium done steak.

Now you are done.  Using a spatula take them out of the pan and let them sit on your cutting board for a few minutes.  You want those juices to start flowing.

Time to slice it up and enjoy!!!

And for the next option.  My husband and I found this by accident and it was a great find.  We were looking for an easy meal while we were were camping in our motorhome.  Jack Daniels makes a pre cooked Beef Brisket which is really good for a quick meal.

It cooks in the microwave in about 4 minutes.  I serve it with a baked potato and a vegetable on the side.  The whole meal takes about 10 minutes and it is a delicious meal.

Those are my two recommendations for a great steak and a really good convenience meal.  Enjoy!!