Recipe: What is a Denver Steak?

A Denver steak is a cut of the beef chuck. Whaaaaat? The chuck may be a tough piece of meat, but the Denver steak is fairly tender, well marbled, and super flavorful. And to make things even better, it is an inexpensive cut of meat, running around $7 a pound. Compared to the popular New York strip, ribeye, T-bone, filet mignon, and so on, it does have slightly more chew, but with its great price and superb flavor profile, the Denver steak has definitely made it to our dinner table again and again.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Denver steak
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbs canola oil (or other high heat oil)

TOOLS:

• Cast iron skillet (or fry pan)
• Small baking sheet
• Silicone (or pastry) brush
• Tongs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the steaks on a large plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste (that is a way of saying season to your personal preference, don’t actually taste your raw steak!). Flip the steak and do the same with the other side.
2. Using a brush, apply canola oil generously to the steak. Flip and repeat.
3. Meanwhile, place a baking sheet in your oven (I use a toaster oven for convenience) and preheat to 400.
4. Heat your pan on the stove top, a cast iron skillet if you have one, for 4 minutes on medium high. Only you know your stove, so this may need some adjustment. For me, that is a 5 setting out of 7. DO NOT APPLY OIL TO YOUR PAN! The oil is already on the steak, just let that pan get nice and hot.
5. Place the steaks one at a time in the pan. You can use your hands or a pair of tongs. If the pan is not sizzling loudly when you put down the first steak, simply pick it back up and wait another minute or so. A strong sizzle is essential.
6. When the pan is hot enough, sear the steaks 3 minutes on each side for a steak around 1 inch thick (2 minutes for a thinner one).
7. Using oven mitts, take out your preheated baking sheet from your oven. Using tongs, place the steaks on the sheet and bake for 6 minutes.
8. When 6 minutes are up, put the steaks on a plate, and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. This allows the meat to rest and prevents all the juices from running out of it.
9. The steaks (adjusting for your pan and oven temperature) should be a nice medium to medium-rare and are READY TO EAT! Serve with your favorite sides or go straight up carnivore. I had mine with sauteed green beans and air fried sweet potatoes.