Steak will always say “I love you,” but if you want to really jazz it up this Valentine’s Day, make this 12-ounce strip with a creamy bourbon garlic sauce. Seared until deeply browned, basted in garlicky butter, and served with a dreamy pan gravy, this steak is the perfect centerpiece for any special occasion dinner.
How to cook the steak:
Your everyday NY strip steak might be thin enough to cook completely on the stove, but with a steak this size, finishing in the oven is essential. The time spent cooking on the stove should be brief but impactful: Sear the steak in a metal (NOT nonstick) pan until it’s deeply browned on all sides, then lay it presentation side up, add a generous chunk of butter and crushed garlic to the pan, and spoon that warm, melty butter over top of it until the butter is super frothy and the steak is glistening and gorgeous. I like to tilt the pan slightly as I baste the steak so the butter constantly runs down and pools at the bottom corner of the pan, creating a little well that I can easily spoon up again, but if this makes you uncomfortable, don’t feel obligated.
The pan sauce:
Making a pan sauce isn’t difficult, but have all the ingredients set out by the stove before starting. Please note that, while you’ll be using the same pan with all the glorious browned bits on the bottom, you should be discarding any loose pan juices that remain from cooking the steak. This might seem counterintuitive, but the butter in those pan juices has already browned and will muddy the flavor of the sauce. The chopped garlic should be cooked just briefly in the fresh oil, and once the bourbon goes in, be sure to scrape constantly against the bottom of the pan as you stir; those browned bits hold tons of flavor.
Why you should let it rest:
Resting is key to a good steak. It’s the easiest part of the recipe—but it can also be the most challenging part to follow. Letting the steak sit out of the heat for at least 5 minutes allows the juices in the steak to thicken a bit, ensuring they don’t flood out when sliced. Those juices hold an immense amount of flavor, as well as moisture, so although you might be tempted to dig in the moment the steak is out of the oven, resist! Set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away. You’ll be glad you were patient.
Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!
Steak will always say “I love you,” but if you want to really jazz it up this Valentine’s Day, make this 12-ounce strip with a creamy bourbon garlic sauce. Seared until deeply browned, basted in garlicky butter, and served with a dreamy pan gravy, this steak is the perfect centerpiece for any special occasion dinner.
How to cook the steak:
Your everyday NY strip steak might be thin enough to cook completely on the stove, but with a steak this size, finishing in the oven is essential. The time spent cooking on the stove should be brief but impactful: Sear the steak in a metal (NOT nonstick) pan until it’s deeply browned on all sides, then lay it presentation side up, add a generous chunk of butter and crushed garlic to the pan, and spoon that warm, melty butter over top of it until the butter is super frothy and the steak is glistening and gorgeous. I like to tilt the pan slightly as I baste the steak so the butter constantly runs down and pools at the bottom corner of the pan, creating a little well that I can easily spoon up again, but if this makes you uncomfortable, don’t feel obligated.
The pan sauce:
Making a pan sauce isn’t difficult, but have all the ingredients set out by the stove before starting. Please note that, while you’ll be using the same pan with all the glorious browned bits on the bottom, you should be discarding any loose pan juices that remain from cooking the steak. This might seem counterintuitive, but the butter in those pan juices has already browned and will muddy the flavor of the sauce. The chopped garlic should be cooked just briefly in the fresh oil, and once the bourbon goes in, be sure to scrape constantly against the bottom of the pan as you stir; those browned bits hold tons of flavor.
Why you should let it rest:
Resting is key to a good steak. It’s the easiest part of the recipe—but it can also be the most challenging part to follow. Letting the steak sit out of the heat for at least 5 minutes allows the juices in the steak to thicken a bit, ensuring they don’t flood out when sliced. Those juices hold an immense amount of flavor, as well as moisture, so although you might be tempted to dig in the moment the steak is out of the oven, resist! Set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away. You’ll be glad you were patient.
Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!
- Yields:
-
2
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 5 mins
- Total Time:
- 30 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 783
Ingredients
- 1
(12-oz.) boneless New York strip steak
- 1 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt, plus more
- 1/4 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper, plus more
- 2 tbsp.
neutral oil, divided
- 2 tbsp.
cold unsalted butter
- 6
cloves garlic, 2 smashed, 4 finely chopped
- 1/4 c.
bourbon
- 1/2 c.
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 c.
heavy cream
Directions
-
- Step 1
Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Pat steak dry on both sides and place on a large baking sheet; season both sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Step 2In a large metal (NOT nonstick) pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add steak, arranging the most photogenic side face down in pan, and cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 3Using tongs, turn steak and continue to cook until deeply browned, 1 to 2 minutes more. Turn steak on its fat-cap side and cook until browned, about 1 minute. Arrange steak presentation side up in pan. Add butter and crushed garlic. Continue to cook, spooning melting butter over steak, until butter is frothy and steak is glistening, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Step 4Return steak to baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 125° for medium-rare, 6 to 10 minutes more.
- Step 5Meanwhile, transfer liquid remaining in pan to a heatproof container to cool. Reserve browned crushed garlic. Do not wipe out pan.
- Step 6In same pan over medium heat, cook chopped garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon oil, stirring, until fragrant and just starting to turn golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add bourbon and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until liquid is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth, cream, and reserved crushed garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until reduced and sauce coats the back of a spoon in a thin, even layer, 5 to 8 minutes; season with salt, if needed. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Step 7Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain. Transfer to a platter. Top with sauce; season with pepper, if needed.
- Step 1
Related Video: How to Pay-Fry Steak
