Celebration Steaks with Pan Sauce

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Celebrate Good Times! Come on!

If you’re like me, you just sang/read that title while having flashbacks to roller blade dancing with all your friends under the disco ball, most likely at the skating rink for a friend’s birthday party. Obviously, a small child celebrating a birthday shouldn’t be cooking over an open flame, but apparently once you’re an adult, celebration means cooking an expensive and delicious cut of meat and having a glass of wine. I’m okay with that 😉

I’m calling these “Celebration Steaks” because I first cooked these while on a second honeymoon, of sorts, with my husband. He had just gotten back from a six month deployment two weeks prior, and I surprised him with a trip to a little cabin in the woods while my parents kept Zemirah. It was my first time away from her overnight, and, while I missed her, honestly, it was great! No mom shaming here! It was a wonderful trip with my darling husband whom I had missed so terribly.

It was glorious being able to sleep all night without a care in the world, but it was also nice to just enjoy cooking *calmly* for my husband instead of a hungry baby clamoring at my heels and tugging on my clothes. We danced in the kitchen, drank wine, and I just enjoyed the process of making these delicious steaks. We didn’t have to worry about eating dinner early because there were neither bedtimes nor the threat of an early morning alarm, so we just leisurely enjoyed our delicious meal.

Since then, I’ve made these pan steaks to celebrate Father’s Day and our anniversary; each time with a different cut of beef, but each time it was equally delicious! I think I’ve used rib eyes twice and filet mignon once. This last time I made them, it was really just for a photo op, so I bought a cheap cut of beef at the store (I think it was a round steak?), and, though leaner, still had so much amazing flavor.

No matter what cut of beef you choose, the flavor will be scrumptious, but do take note of the thickness of your steak. The times I am giving are for a steak cooked medium; if you want more rare: do not put them in the oven, sear them only, and if you want more well done, keep them in the oven longer. I would suggest using a meat thermometer to make sure you achieve your desired temperature. Rare to well done, however you like your steak, I hope these can help you celebrate those good times with the ones you love.

Celebration Steaks with Pan Sauce

Serves 2 or 3.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs of steak (as mentioned above, any cut will do!)
• 2 tsp kosher salt (for a better crust)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 8-10 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup of ghee
• For the sauce:
  • 2 tsp of red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp of coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp of raw honey

Directions:

• Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat and preheat oven to 400 F
• Dry steaks with a paper towel and rub with salt and pepper
• Once skillet is hot (flick some water to make sure, it will sizzle when it’s ready), add ghee, garlic, and herbs
• Add steaks to pan
• Sear for 2-3 minutes, basting with the ghee mixture twice
• Flip and sear for another two minutes, basting twice with ghee mixture
• For a medium steak, pop in the preheated oven for 2 minutes (longer for more well done)
• Remove from pan and let the steaks rest for 6-8 minutes, uncovered
• While meat is resting, add the red wine vinegar, coconut aminos, and honey to the pan
• Let simmer on medium-low heat while meat rests, the sauce should reduce down a little bit
• Serve steaks warm covered with sauce, and don’t neglect the garlic cloves, they are delicious eaten right along with the steak!

If you make some Celebration Steaks for your family, I would love to hear what you thought; you can tag me on Instagram (mrsmollymills). If you are wanting to make the perfect simple yet romantic meal, I would *highly* suggest serving these steaks with my Crispy Brussels Sprouts and some Roasted Potatoes or Creamy Whole30 Mashed Potatoes; they all go together well! If you wanted to get fancy and make a three course meal, my Creamy Tomato Basil Soup makes a great appetizer, and my No Bake Chocolate Date Cake is a pretty classy treat 😉 No matter what you serve your steaks with, I know you’ll enjoy them! Celebrate with your family…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!