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People say I roll my eyes a lot.
(They’re right)
And there's no subject that makes my eyes roll harder than "personal growth."
Whenever I read some pop wisdom about sobriety, "embracing failure" or "the importance of kindness" my eyes roll so hard I can feel them smack the top of my skull.
But occasionally, the personal growers come up with something golden.
Like the phrase "majoring in the minors."
What does it mean?
It's not about baseball. It refers to the idea of distraction.
Instead of making the most important improvements, (often the hardest ones) you get distracted fixing the minute details that don't make much of a difference.
In home cooking, people major in the minors by:
Buying the most expensive knives
Stocking shelves full of cookbooks
Switching to pink salt from white salt
Now I'm not saying you shouldn't use a dope chef's knife. In fact, if you're a manufacturer, feel free to send me a couple.
But you don't become a better cook by making teeny-tiny improvements like these.
You do it by learning the basics, and improving your fundamental skills in cooking.
Pan-seared steak with lemon pesto orzo, charred broccolini, and pickled sweet peppers
Where to start?
I think of these 3 elements as the biggest leverage points in cooking. I call them the 3 T's.
Time
Temperature
Technique
Time: Being sensitive to how the flavor, color, smell, and texture transform during the cooking process.
Temperature: Recognizing how foods respond when exposed to cold and heat, and dry and moist environments.
Technique: Knowing how to make the most of any ingredient. For example, you wouldn't cook with fresh basil; you’d kill its delicate flavor. Instead, you'd chiffonade it, add it to your dish raw. Or pureé it into a sauce.
Once you've built up your skills in these 3 T's, the whole world of cooking opens up for you.
For example, many home cooks only feel comfortable cooking a steak on the grill.
But there’s so many other ways…
Like on the stovetop. Using a heavy sauté pan, or cast-iron pan for example.
(Which comes in handy during winter when it's too cold to fire up the grill)
Pan-searing a steak lets you create that delicious browned layer of caramelization that you also get from the grill, but a pan is better for flavoring the steak with other ingredients as it cooks...
Like I did in using butter and garlic in this week's recipe.
SIMPL Tip #1: Pan-searing meat
Dry the meat with a towel, and season both sides with salt and pepper
Preheat a heavy saute pan or cast-iron pan, and add 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
When the oil is smoking hot, place the meat in the pan, and reduce the heat slightly, if needed
Cook until the surface is browned, then flip the meat using a pair of tongs
Add butter and any other flavorings to the pan (garlic, thyme, rosemary)
Baste the meat using a spoon to infuse it with the butter and flavorings
Remove the meat from the pan to cool. Let it rest before slicing.
This post contains affiliate links
I used this pan-searing technique to cook the steaks for this week's dish, and the results were delicious.
I used a combination of Ribeye and New York strips because that's what I had on hand, but this recipe is written for ribeyes. Use whichever you prefer.
This dish is paired with orzo pasta (yeah it's pasta, not rice) that I tossed with a bright-green lemon pesto pureed with blanched spinach to keep it green.
Pickled sweet peppers and charred broccolini round out this flavorful, high-protein summer entree.
Here's the nutrition breakdown for 1 portion:
Calories: 892
Protein: 55g
Carbs: 42g
Fat: 56g
Try this pan-searing method for cooking steak at home.
Maybe your eyes will roll too, as you take that first bite, drop your fork, and say (while chewing)….
"Oh ma gaaawd!”
Get access to this full recipe PLUS step-by-step cooking videos and links to buy ingredients when you upgrade for $19/month.
Pan-seared steak with lemon pesto orzo, charred broccolini, and pickled sweet peppers
More high-protein meals:
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Recipe: Pan-seared steak with lemon pesto orzo, charred broccolini, and pickled sweet peppers
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Makes 5 portions
Ingredients
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32 oz beef ribeye steaks (3-4 steaks) https://amzn.to/3KLPOYE
2/3 lb orzo pasta https://amzn.to/3KG380S
1 lb sweet peppers https://amzn.to/3XoBFZ3
1 lb broccolini https://amzn.to/3KLof1W
½ cup freshly grated parmesan https://amzn.to/3VGIy6F
2 large handfuls fresh spinach https://amzn.to/4b18s9H
¼ cup + 3 Tbsp olive oil https://amzn.to/4bXoJ0T
¼ cup hazelnuts (or pine nuts) https://amzn.to/4bXra3i
1 large handful fresh basil leaves https://amzn.to/3z315Bl
1 cup red wine vinegar https://amzn.to/3RvuJFU
1 cup agave syrup. https://amzn.to/3yXE16W
3 Tbsp chopped garlic. https://amzn.to/4clXCMB
¼ cup butter https://amzn.to/3RseARm
Juice and zest of 2 lemons https://amzn.to/3x8kAIh (order 2)
Kosher salt to taste https://amzn.to/3XpkMNL
Black pepper to taste https://amzn.to/3XqNez6
DIRECTIONS:
To pickle the sweet peppers:
Pour the red wine vinegar, agave syrup, and 1 cup water into a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Add the sliced sweet peppers, and simmer them on medium heat for 2 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool.
To sear the steak:
Preheat a heavy saute pan on high heat, and and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper, and when the oil is smoking hot, add them to the saute pan. Turn the heat down to slightly. When the steaks have browned after 2-3 minutes, flip them over and sear the other side.
Add butter and chopped garlic to the pan, and baste the meat while the butter browns. When they're done, pull them out of the pan and let them rest on a cutting board, and pour the garlic butter over the top.
To cook the spinach and orzo:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add 1/4j cup salt. Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, and pull it out using a strainer. Set the spinach aside. Add the orzo pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes until cooked al dente, stirring occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom. Strain it out into a colander in the sink, and run some cold water over it to cool. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss it with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
To char the broccolini:
In another mixing bowl, toss the broccolini with 2 tsp salt, 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic, and 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Spread it out on a sheet pan, and cook it under the oven broiler until it's tender and lightly charred, about 5-6 minutes.
To make the pesto:
Using a stick blender or an upright blender, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, roasted hazelnuts, juice and zest of 2 lemons, shredded parmesan, fresh basil and blanched spinach. Add 1/4 cup water, and season with salt and pepper. Puree the mixture until smooth and bright green.
To finish:
Strain out the pickled sweet peppers and transfer them to a bowl, discarding the liquid. After the steaks have rested at least 20 minutes, slice them into 1/4 inch slices, using an angled cut. Toss the orzo with the pesto in a mixing bowl, and divide it between 5 meal prep boxes. Top with the the pickled sweet peppers, fan out the slices of steak on top, and finish with the broccolini. Seal up the containers and store in the refrigerator until ready to reheat in the microwave.
Pan-seared steak with lemon pesto orzo, charred broccolini, and pickled sweet peppers