The Iron Skillet, Oven Roaster, and a Good Steak

Wintertime and grilling can be a challenge in the northeast. Some dads think the best steak comes from a grill. Not true. You can have a great steak using your cast iron skillet and an oven roaster.
Great cuts of steaks are T-Bone, Prime Rib, Sirloin, and Tenderloins. A marbleized flank steak is also one of my favorites. With this recipe, you should be good with most grades of steaks.

Prepping is the most important aspect of a good steak. I am a strong proponent of a 1-hour salt bath. For prime rib, I recommend an encrusted rock salt recipe for the entire process of cooking. However, for this recipe, we are going to keep it simple.

A good cut of meat will come with fat. Trim the large chunks of fat from the steak. On a cutting board, place a layer of Himalayan or  Kosher salt cuts. Firmly press the front and backside of your cut of meat so that the chunks of salt are embedded into the meat. Let the steak set out at room temperature for about an hour. The salt will draw out the liquids and break down proteins tenderizing the steak. The thicker the steak, the more salt you want to use for your preparation. Some chefs call this process osmosis.

Ingredients

Cut of steak.
Salt - Himalayan, Rock, Sea or Iodized
Olive Oil 3 tablespoons
1-2 cloves of garlic

The next step is to warm up your skillet. Skillets hold the flavor better than any cooking device for the stovetop. For this recipe, you will turn the heat on your stove to med-high or slightly higher. Poor in the olive oil and bring the heat to the desired temperature. Prior to adding the steak, mince some garlic to flavor the oil.

The purpose of the skillet is to seal the brine from tenderizing your steak. You will cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes. This will brown the surface of your steak while leaving the center rare, which is exactly what you want. If you have multiple steaks, you can brown longer for a med-rare center for one steak, and keep the other rare.

Ingredients for Roasting Oven

6-8 potatoes
2-3 carrots
2-3 celery
4-6 cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
(Feel free to add corn or anything else you like)
Cracked pepper and salt
Italian seasoning
Olive oil 2-3 tsp.

Cube and slice your vegetables and place them in a bowl.  Pour the olive oil on the vegetables and mix to ensure they are coated. Next, add the cracked salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Again mix to ensure they are well seasoned. In the oven roaster, place 2 sheets of aluminum paper on top of the metal basket (optional - makes clean up easier) Spread the vegetables evenly across the roaster. Place your seasoned steaks on top of the vegetable mixture. Close the lid. Set the cooker for 200 degrees. The next step is up to you. You can cook for 2 hours at 250 degrees for a rare steak. Or you can slow cook for 4 hours at 200 degrees for a med-rare steak. The longer you cook the steak, it will become increasingly tender. Use a meat thermometer to check for a safe temperature prior to removing from the oven. You may have to cook the vegetables a bit longer for a rare steak. You can turn the oven up to 350 or 400 degrees. You should have tender vegetables in 20-30 mins.