I love all styles of pinot, as long as they pair well with food I’m passionate about. Since I happen to be a big steak guy I find that the concentrated but balanced pinot that you often find in the Russian River, Central Coast and Oregon pair really nicely with a well prepared steak. The trick is that it has to be nice and tender, with lots of flavorful juices.

Here’s the best technique I’ve found to get a juicy, flavorful steak with a nice crust. Best of all, the steak doesn’t have that weird ring of gray, over cooked meat around the perimeter.

Using it you can evenly cook a steak to a perfect medium rare, just like they do in your favorite restaurant.

Items you’ll need:

• A 12″ full clad stainless steel skillet. No non stick! I recommend All Clad.
• A digital instant read thermometer.

Directions:

• First you need to get yourself a nicely marbled steak. Prime is the best and most expensive cut, but it’s pretty hard to find (less than 2% of all meat is prime). Even our local butcher, Willowside Meats, didn’t have any prime the last time I was in. Choice cuts are what you’ll probably find, so pick through them and try and grab the two of the best. You’ll also want to make sure that the cuts are of even thickness. If you are at a butcher, the ideal thickness (that I’ve found at least) is around an inch and a half. New York steaks are my personal favorite, but the technique works with other cuts as well.
• Preheat your oven to 275 degrees
• Liberally sprinkle all sides of the steak with plenty of salt and pepper. I prefer Maldon Sea Salt, which is flakey and delicious and helps make a great crust. I also like to get whole peppercorns and either chop or crush them up.
• Pop the steak in the oven on a cookie sheet with a wire cooking rack until the internal temperature registers 90 degrees. Be sure to check the temp in the thickest portion of the steaks. Depending on the oven this should take about 20 minutes.
• Remove the steaks from the oven and let them rest for about 4 minutes. During this time the internal temp of the steaks will continue to rise, and the meat will continue to cook. You can take the time to prepare your skillet with a couple tablespoons of oil (olive oil is fine but vegetable oil has a higher smoking point, giving you a better crust). When the oil in the skillet is smoking, add the steaks.
• Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each of the two large sides, until the meat is nice and brown and you’ve got a killer crust. Then turn and sear each steak on the remaining 4 sides about for 30 – 40 seconds each.
• Finally, let the steaks rest for another 4 minutes so that the meat will reincorporate its juices. Afterward take a peek inside with a knife and revel in the luscious, moist, red meat awaiting you. Mmmmm.

There are a ton of great sauces you can make to top off this beauty, but this is the one I’ve been using lately. It’s quick, easy and delicious:

You’ll need equal parts butter and blue cheese (3-4 tablespoons worth is good for two – three streaks) and a minced shallot.

Just throw the shallot in the pan first to soften it up, then add the butter and finally the cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy with a concentrated but balanced pinot, like Anne Amie’s delicious La Colina.

I’m always looking for new and interesting pan sauces recipes. If you know of a good one let me know in the comments!