Spooky Skelly Steak

Recipe courtesy of the talented Works' teacher, Kiya Schnorr.

Safety warning! There will be smoke and splatter when searing the steak, so turn on a fan and get out the splatter screen if you have one!

Ingredients

For the steak:

• 1.5 lb porterhouse or T-bone steak
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda Flake salt for serving

For the compound butter:

• 3 tbsp unsalted room temperature butter 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/8 tsp aleppo pepper
• 1/2 tsp honey

For the veggies:

• 1.5 lbs baby purple potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1” strips
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1” wedges
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (from about 2 sprigs) 1 bunch watercress
• 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

Instructions

1) Prepare the steak:

(Air drying gives steak an amazing flavor! If you don’t have time to air dry the steak ahead, follow these directions but skip the refrigeration and wait to sprinkle on the salt and baking soda until just before cooking.)

Pat the steak dry all over with paper towels. With a small, sharp knife, slice slits into the fat cap on the side of the steak about 1” apart. Ideally, the slices will go just through the fat and connective tissue, but not into the steak itself. (These slits prevent the fat from shrinking and curling, allowing the steak to sit flat while searing for optimum browning.)

Sprinkle the steak all over with the sea salt and baking soda and pat in gently to adhere. Place the steak on a wire rack over a baking sheet or a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 5 hours.

2) Prepare the compound butter:

In a small bowl, use a small spatula or a spoon to combine the butter, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, aleppo pepper, and honey.

Turn the butter out on a piece of plastic cling wrap. Use the cling wrap to shape the butter into a heart shape, then gently twist the wrap closed and move to the refrigerator until ready to serve. (Note: this is realistically more butter than is needed for a 1.5 lb steak, but it makes for a dramatic effect. If you’d like to cut the butter down, shape instead into two hearts and save one for another use).

3) Roast the veggies:

Heat the oven to 450F with the racks in the lowest and center positions. 

Divide the potatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, and rosemary between two rimmed baking sheets. Season each sheet with 1/4 tsp salt, pepper to taste, and 1.5 tbsp olive oil and toss to coat. For maximum crisp, turn the potatoes cut side down. Roast on the lowest and center racks for 30 minutes, swapping the sheets’ position halfway through roasting.

Once the veggies go in the oven, remove the prepared steak from the refrigerator. Allow the steak to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. (If you did not prep the steak earlier, you may do it now).

4) Cook the steak:

Heat a 12” stainless steel or cast iron pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, grab the steak with a pair of tongs and press the fat cap down onto the pan to release some of the fat. Sear all areas of the fat cap, then lay the steak onto the pan and apply moderate pressure downward on the meat surrounding the t-bone.

Turn the steak every 30-60 seconds for 5 minutes, keeping the heat high (frequent turning will build a nice brown crust.)

Transfer the pan to the oven’s center rack (remove one of the veggie pans if you need space) and cook 2.5 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and check the steak’s internal temperature with an instant read or meat thermometer.

If the temperature is 120-130F, transfer to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil until the temperature reaches 135F. If the temperature is below 120F, return to the oven for 30-60 seconds more. (For medium steak, keep in the oven for 3.5 minutes, for well done, 4-5 minutes.)

Once the desired temperature has been reached, allow the steak to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Slice the steak into 1” “ribs” and serve topped with the heart shaped compound butter and flaky salt. Top the roasted vegetables with the watercress and a squeeze of lime!

If you have any questions about the ingredients, recipe, or equipment, please e-mail us hello@theworksseattle.com. Happy Halloween!