If you, like Gary, can't tell the difference between a terrine and a tajine, then this is the type of recipe for you. As well, if you, like Gary, are a man like The Cash himself, then you will love this one. Not only is it dead and bloody, but it goes great with a late vintage Pinot Noir, or beer, beer's good too.
Before you start: get the oven heated up to 400ºF and find yourself a cast-iron frying pan. Hopefully you observe proper kitchen safety rules about the order in which you do that. If you need to go buy a cast-iron pan, don't turn the oven on first.
Step One: Meat
Now, the most important thing here is that you aren't a cheap bastard about buying your steak. Sure, you can get filet for $12.99 a pound from Sobey's if you like. But if you're a real man, like The Cash is a real man, then you're not a cheap bastard. So go get a nice tenderloin like these puppies from the organic butcher downstairs. Yes they are about three-times the price, but they're aged well and aren't filled with all sorts of shit that will prevent you from living to be 71, like The Cash.
Sprinkle some expensive salt on the steak and brush with some olive oil all around. If you don't have a brush, smear the oil around with your thumb.
High heat, Gary. High heat. That's right, the camp chef is right about the best way to cook meat.
Get that pan nice and hot, like smoking hot, and then toss the steak in there. Wiggle it around a bit at first to keep it from sticking. After about a minute, or once it gets some good brown on it, flip it over and continue to punish the other side.
Once you've seared the steak. Toss it in your pre-heated oven, pan and all. It would help if you didn't cheap out and buy one with a wooden handle.
Keep them in the oven for about 9-10 minutes so they come out cooked but still bloody; the way men like them. If you ARE cheap, and you buy a steak that's less than an inch thick, then cook it for about 7 minutes instead.
While you wait, you might want to prepare a salad if you've got a lady over. Otherwise, have a beer.
After you're finished your beer, or after nine minutes have passed, whichever comes last, (if it takes you longer than ten minutes to finish a beer, you deserve a dry-ass steak) take the steak out and put it on a plate to rest.
Turn on some Jimmy Buffet.
Before you put that pan in the sink and douse it with water-and I know you were about to do it-don't. There's all sorts of great burnt-up steaky goodness in there to eat. So pour the excess fat into your empty beer can and put the pan back on the stove.
Step Four: Sauce it Up
If you do have a lady over, then this next bit is sure to impress. It's called deglazing. Make sure you tell her that. Just say, "I'm just gonna deglaze the pan here and make a nice sauce." You'll get laid for sure.
First thing to do is pour some wine in the pan. While it bubbles away, use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the tasty brown bits. These are called, "fond." Chicks dig it when you talk about "fond."
The total combined volume should be about 1/4 cup for one steak or about twice that for two. That's 1/2 cup if you're not mathermatically inclined.
Pour some of the juices from the plate in there while you're at it. Yes, it's blood, but call it, "juices" in the presence of a lady.
Keep stirring until it's reduced by about half, or it's getting so that you can see the bottom of the pan between stirs.
Step Five: Herbs
If you want to be fancy. And you do want to be fancy, Gary. You do. Throw some herbs in there too. About a tablespoon of FRESH thyme and rosemary is good. But you could just go for one of them if you like. You could also use a bay leaf, peppercorns (the kind that come in a jar, not the dried ones... make sure you drain them) or some parsley.
Add about a tablespoon of butter. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out a bit. Not too much at a time.
Sprinkle some more expensive salt on them. This time, use Salish smoked salt. Not too much, just a sprinkle.
