Honey gives this recipe its edge. Once the steak is cooked, you taste only the barest hint of sweetness, yet the sugar opens up all the meat’s bold beefiness. Each mouthful delivers fabulous crustiness and a hum of black pepper. Makes great leftovers. From “How to Eat Supper,” serves 3-4. (5 minutes prep time; 15 minutes stove time)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons dry red wine
3 tablespoons honey
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 1/2 to 2 pounds steak (chuck, rib-eye, porterhouse, T-bone, top loin, New York strip, Delmonico, or Kansas City strip; organic if possible), cut 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inches thick and trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Directions
Combine wine, honey, garlic and pepper in a shallow dish. Add steak, turning to coat it with mixture. Let it stand at room temperature while you set up the rest of the meal.
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Pat steak dry, add it to pan and brown it quickly on both sides, sprinkling salt and grinding more pepper over both sides as they cook. (A splatter screen will protect the stovetop from becoming a total mess.)
Turn heat to medium low and cook, turning often, for 10 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees to 130 degrees (for medium rare). Remove to a platter and let rest for 5-10 minutes. The steak finishes cooking, collects itself and is much juicier for the wait.
Wine ideas: Steak is always a good excuse to pull out a rich red. With the strong euro and the rising price of wine in the U.S., Argentina is one of the last frontiers of great bargains — and they do know their steak and red wines. A malbec such as Tamari ($13) or Finca Sophenia Altosur ($10) offers lots of deep, plummy flavor kept vibrant and steak-ready with round, firm tannins. Tara Q. Thomas
