"Perfect" Steak Tips and Tricks

I've made a lot of steak in my day but before we moved down to Phoenix, we had a grill.  That was easy peasy and the staple of our Friday night grill/game night.  Once we moved to Phx, I had to grow up a little (ok a lot) in the cooking without a grill department!  We were gifted a small George Foreman by an aunt and that was one of the best indoor inventions ever.  But it just doesn't do steak justice.  So I use that for chicken and veggies.
I ended up finally getting myself an inexpensive cast iron pan (as any well stocked kitchen should have) and I have yet to regret my $12 spent!  Here are some tips and tricks I've learned in my researching for making the "perfect" steak!

• Heat the pan on High but cook the steak on Medium heat.
• Let the meat rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
• Pat the steak as dry as you can get it to prevent "steaming" while cooking.
• Before seasoning, use a basting brush and cover both sides with Worcestershire sauce.
• Some people believe that salting before cooking is a bad idea.  I say to each his own.  I love to have the salt in the crust of the steak. :)
• For a 1" steak (kind of a guideline to adjust based on thickness):  Medium Rare: 2.5 mins on each side, 1.5 mins in 400 degree oven, Medium: 3 mins on each side, 2.5 mins in 400 degree oven, Well done: 4 mins on each side, 3 mins in 400 degree oven.
• If you're doing a compound butter, slab it on top before you put it in the oven.
• Don't trim the fat off the steak until after it's cooked.  This gives it more flavor while cooking.
• If you don't finish the steak in the oven, cook on both sides twice.  Usually about 2-3 mins for each flip.
•  Always remember that a steak continues to cook even after it's out of the pan.
• Compound butters can be made with just about anything in your pantry.  They make a perfect topping if you want just a little more than the steak by itself.  Once mixed REALLY well, wrap in parchment paper and freeze for when you need it.  Don't be afraid to get creative and fresh herbs give it just a touch of color!
• Try to shoot for steaks that are at least an 1" thick.  Anything thinner tends to dry out much quicker.

As I come across more tips and tricks I'll continue to add to the list!  These are just some of the different helpful things floating around out there!

Prepping for Bread

If any of you are like me, I like things to be quick and easy most days when it comes to the kitchen!  This is a post to help out those who like to make their own bread!  This is something that can be done in less than 10 mins and will keep you stocked for ease. :)

Prepping dry ingredients for Bread:

1. Choose your favorite recipe for bread.  These pictures are of my Onion Bread recipe.
2. Pull out all the dry ingredients minus the yeast.
3. You can pour ingredients directly into the bags if you'd like or do it like me.  I put them all in bowls and mix with a whisk before I put it in bags.

4. Label each bag with the name of the bread, how big of a loaf it makes and then the order in which things go into your bread machine (or in a bowl if you're doing it old school!).  *note: to make it more clear, you might want to put an extra line where you dump in the bag ingredients before the yeast*

5. Store on your shelf for a rainy day or whenever you'd like a quick loaf of bread! :)