Sometimes I can still get my hands on cheap, good steak. Usually this is when it is a day or two from it’s ‘best by’ date. When I purposely buy cheap, good steak that will go bad before tomorrow, this is what I do:
Heat an Iron Fry pan to a high temperature and while it is heating, melt a lot of butter in it, you want the whole inner surface of the fry pan to have about a half centimetre of melted butter in it.
Turn the oven fan on HIGH, cuz this willl get smoky.
Unwrap the meat and carefully place it in the pan.
Wash your hands.
Sprinkle the top of the meat with salt and pepper.
Wash the salt and pepper off your hands.
Use metal tongs to flip the steak over, and sprinkle that side with salt and pepper too.
Let it cook while you dispose of the wrapper, wipe up the counter, and wash a few dishes that are soaking in the sink.
Use metal tongs to flip it again, it should be toasty brown on top now.
Let this side cook while you wash a few more dishes and have a drink of water.
Flip it again. There should be no visible blood, and both sides should be crispy and brown. If this is not the case, cook each side a little longer until it is.
Take the steak out of the pan and slice it to stirfry thinness. It shouldn’t be dripping blood, if it is, put it back in the pan, cut the heat down to half, and let it cook a little longer.
Place the sliced bits into a metal bowl with a ceramic lid (I use a breakfast plate and a mixing bowl) and put it in the fridge to cool.
Several hours later, once it is cold, you will put it them a ziplock freezer bag, making sure the pieces are not stuck together, and stick it in the freezer.
When a meal time comes where steak is featured, bring out your bag of sliced steak from the freezer and portion out about a handful per adult. (Make sure your hands are clean.)
Put these pieces into a glass baking dish and put them in the toaster oven or a regular oven, depending on where it fits best.
Set the temp to 400-450 for about 20-25 minutes (if frozen).
What comes out will taste like it was freshly fried.
You’re welcome.
In order to make a tasty potroast, you also begin with this same method.
In the heavy pan you’ll be cooking the roast in, melt butter in high heat. While the butter melts, using your clean hands, coat the roast in salt and pepper.
Once the butter is liquid and bubbling, gently place the roast in the butter, keeping the heat high. After a minute or two, the bottom side will be seared. Flip the meat over and sear the opposite side. Then sear each side wall of the roast, your goal is make it so the moisture already in the meat will not leave it while it is cooking, resulting in a nice tender and juicy piece of cooked meat.
After you have seared every side of the roast, place the side with the most fat on it down against the bottom of the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add about an inch of water to the butter and put a lid on the pan. Once the water is boiling around the meat, lower heat to about a quarter, or simmer level. Check it from time to time to make sure the pan has not dried out. If the pan dries out, add a half inch more water, turn the heat down a little lower, and make sure the lid is firmly closed.
Simmer the meat until it smells done. Sorry, I don’t measure time, but you can tell by the smell when it is ready to be eaten.
When the meat is cooked to your taste, remove the roast from the pan and put it in a warming over to keep it nice and warm. Prepare your veggies and potatoes.
To make gravy, heat the remaining liquid to boiling. The liquid should be very oily. In a shaker bottle, fill it a quarter full of flour or corn starch and twice that amount of water or milk. Shake well. When the oil in the pan is bubbly boiling, pour in some of the starch water you just made, and stir with a fork. Add more starch water as needed, but you might not need all that you made. Use the fork to dislodge meaty bits stuck to the wall of the pan, so that they can become part of the gravy.
It will take a minute or two for the gravy to thicken, and while you wait for it to thicken, you can sample taste it to make sure the flavour is to your liking.
If the gravy doesn’t taste meaty enough, add a package of Au Jus or a spoonful of beef broth powder.
If the gravy tastes bland, add a bit more salt or pepper.