LumberJack Steak

Well, it's Friday, and finally one where I've got some time to put up a recipe. This one's a bit of a tradition from last year, when we had ourselves a little Steak Night on Fridays once every few weeks up at the co-op where I live. Seeing as house meals are vegetarian, those of us who enjoy asserting our dominance over the food chain would often cook up copious amounts of meat to deal with the withdrawal*. Heck, even before that, when I lived in a townhouse, I would often cook steak come Friday night after a long week of classes. Really, I've been grilling steaks since just about forever, which has given me plenty of practice in getting the perfect medium/medium-rare, which is how I like mine -- cooked just enough so that it's no longer bloody, but still juicy and tender.

*this is, obviously, a joke. Meat withdrawal only sets in after about a month in reality, but is a real problem. Informal polls show that 72% of all forced vegetarians either have or will suffer from meat withdrawal at some point.

Anyways, here's the recipe for the Lumberjack Steak, so named because if you can actually finish this monster in one sitting, you're either a lumberjack, a bear, or me (yes, I have done it. Only once, but still. It was delicious)

-=LumberJack Steak=-

1 Sirloin Steak (~1.75-2 lb)

1 Onion, chopped

Salt

Pepper

Optional, for fellow pyros out there: flavored liquor of choice (Fireball Whiskey rocks)

Cooking steak is a bit of an art, but the methods are the same whether you're on a stove or grill. The trick is to quickly sear the surface of the steak to lock in the juice and flavor, then turn down the heat so the meat can slowly cook through without getting tough. Although I like my steak medium/medium-rare (pink-red in the center), you could in theory continue cooking this all the way to well done without the meat getting too tough (I still don't recommend it though).

Start by turning the heat up to HIGH. Let your cooking surface get good and hot, then drop your steak in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the steak cook to approximately 1/3 of the way through from the bottom, so that if you're looking at the sides, the bottom third is brown, about 3-5 minutes. Now turn the steak over and let it sear for about a minute while you add salt and pepper to this side as well. Turn the heat down to medium once the bottom surface is fully cooked. Add the onions in now, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly. Now this part is a little difficult to describe, because cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the steak. Once the sides of the steak are cooked, flip again and turn the heat down to LOW. At this point you should start checking to see if it's fully cooked. The center will take longer to cook than the sides, so just looking at the steak isn't always a good judge. Take a pair of tongs and press on the center of the steak. It should be firm, but still have some give to it. If it feels squishy, then the center needs more time. It shouldn't be hard though; a juicy steak will depress then bounce back. Knowing the right feel is something that takes a bit of practice. At this point, the steak is ready to serve. However, I like to add a bit of extra flavor by flambe'ing it. Turn the heat up to HIGH again, and quickly splash a small amount of liquor on top of the steak. CAREFULLY, using one of those long barreled lighters (or if you're like me, a butane torch), light the alcohol. This will literally burn the flavor from the liquor into the meat for an extra kick. After impressing your friends (or terrifying them to death), dig in! Sharing is optional.