Steak.

Medium Rare. 16 Ounces Prime Aged Wagyu Sirloin.

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic, Scallions, Butter, Milk, Pepper.

The full steak after juices redistributed, and one of my homebrewed beers.

Go big or go home, right? This was steak taken to the next level. And I may be new at cooking dinners, but I'm not afraid to boast about my steak-making skills. I went all out on this one. 16 ounces of Aged Prime Wagyu Sirloin, marbled perfectly and cooked exquisitely to medium rare. Yeah, it's making me hungry too just looking at those pictures. Don't worry though, I'll teach you how to make this beauty. Paired with the steak was a nice bowl of delicious mashed potatoes, spiced slightly and made fluffy. I had been dreaming about this meal for weeks (actually), and it was just as perfect as I had imagined. Along with my sous chef and dining friend for the night, I made a steak meal that cannot be topped.

As you might have figured out, I'm crazy about eating. However, I'm serious about my meats. For this meal I took a trip to a local butcher to get the best cut he had. Ever heard of Kobe beef? Well, this steak was from that same Wagyu cow. The cut was a 16 ounce, 1.5 inch thick sirloin, that had been thoroughly aged. Sirloin is one of the juciest, tastiest cuts of a cow. So- how did I make it? Here we go:

I started by rubbing the steak with pepper, and then coating it with very flavorful olive oil (yes, there are significant flavor differences in olive oils). I let the steak warm up for a few minutes while I worked on my mashed potatoes. Once this starts cooking, it will demand 100% of your attention. Don't salt the steak until right before you throw it in the pan, else the salt will suck the moisture out of the meat. Heat a cast iron skillet up to the maximum temperature you can, and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Throw the steak in the pan and don't touch it. After exactly two minutes, flip it. This is searing the outside, offering a crispy shell and locking in all the juices. After exactly two more minutes, place a pad of butter on top of the steak, and move the pan into the 500 degree oven. Cook for around 2 minutes, but just until the internal temperature reaches a few degrees below the doneness you want (130 degrees for medium-rare). Yes, it's worth investing in a digital thermometer. Seriously. This steak is worth it. After the steak is done, pull it out and plate it, pouring all that good juice back on top. Finally, WAIT! Wait 5 minutes for the juices to settle and redistribute across the meat. This step is crucial, and is completely worth it. You can cover the plate with foil as the steak finishes the last stage of cooking. After, your steak is ready. It is hot, it is awesome, and it should be enjoyed immediately.  Here are a few bonus pictures of my insane steak making:

Salting the steak, just as it was put on.

Time's up! Rushing to place it in the oven.

You should have seen the smile on my face. I was so excited to eat

In the end, it made the list of my top two steaks ever eaten. For the mashed potatoes, I made them with milk, baked garlic (soft and flavorful), scallions, plenty of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. I paired the meal with one of my homebrewed Blackberry Ales, and ate my way to nirvana.