Recipe Background
Savor these 'First-Place Steaks,' perfect for celebrating milestones, with rosemary, garlic, and patience.
It was the night I finally faced my fear of driving alone for long distances, having just passed my test two months earlier. I decided to visit my brother who lived a couple of hours away, ready to surprise him with a meal to celebrate my recent driving success. We had shared countless meals growing up, always competing over who could make the best steak. Stopping at a local market, I selected two New York strip steaks which immediately reminded me of our summer backyard cookouts.
Armed with those thick slabs, I added fresh rosemary and garlic to my basket—our secret duo for elevating any dish. Back in the cozy kitchen of my brother's apartment, I seasoned the steaks with sea salt and pepper, just as we had done many times before. Heating a cast-iron skillet, I let the olive oil glide along the surface before searing the steaks to perfection. The scent of rosemary filled the room as I basted the sizzling steaks, the garlic butter sizzling just right.
As the steaks rested, I resisted cutting too soon—a rookie mistake I had often made before learning patience pays off. My brother walked in, surprised and clearly impressed. It was the first time I had driven so far with such confidence, and these steaks were the perfect celebration. That night, we agreed my visit was well worth the journey, and those steaks went down in our family history as the legendary 'First-Place Steaks.'
Ingredients
- 2 (1-pound 1 1/4-inch-thick) New York strip steaks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more, to taste, sliced, for serving
- 2 cloves garlic quartered
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary plus more, to taste, for garnish
Directions
- Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel, then season both sides with the salt and the pepper.
- In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil, swirling to coat.
- Add the seasoned steaks to the hot oil and sear until a brown crust has formed, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Use tongs to turn the seared steaks on their sides to render the white fat and sear the edges, about 1 minute per edge.
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Immediately add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the garlic cloves, and 1 of the rosemary sprigs to the cooked steaks and stir to combine. Cook until the butter has melted and the garlic is tender, about 1-2 minutes.
- Baste the steaks by slightly tilting the skillet and spooning the butter sauce mixture over the steaks. Cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature that is 5-10 degrees less than the desired doneness, 135 degrees F for medium-rare doneness.
- Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and loosely cover. Let them rest until they reach the desired doneness or at least 145 degrees F for medium-rare doneness, about 10 minutes.
- Slice the steaks, if desired.
- Serve the steaks topped with the extra butter and the extra rosemary sprigs.
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