Go ahead and splurge on this simple home-cooked steakhouse dinner for two

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day or just a cozy dinner for two, splurging on a few simple luxuries like steak with mushrooms and parsley potatoes can create an old-timey steakhouse dinner in your own home. It’s not ambitious. It’s so easy to pull off that you’ll have extra time for a few special touches — flowers, chocolate, bubbles.

Be sure to buy the best quality meat from a source you trust. Go for a richly marbled cut to ensure a no-fail dinner. While filet mignon was once prized for its lean tenderness, a thick, bone-in rib eye has way more taste, and its bigger surface will develop a wonderful thick crust. Cooking one large rib eye is impressive and far easier than managing two. The thickness keeps the meat juicy, the bone adds flavor, and the fat that runs through the meat melts and bastes it from within.

We have so many wonderful farmers and butchers, it’s worth the extra time to pay them a visit. Pricey? It can be, especially if the farm is local and the animal was pasture raised (it’s much better karma, too). But the payoff is on the plate. In the end, this dinner is less expensive and less hassle than going out.

Start by generously seasoning the steak with salt and pepper on both sides and then allow it to come to room temperature to absorb the seasonings and enrich its flavor. The best method for cooking this steak is called “arroser,” which means “to baste” in French, and involves searing the steak over high heat while adding butter, lots of it, along with aromatics such as garlic and fresh herbs.

Once it’s reached an internal temperature of 115 to 120 degrees, move the steak to a cutting board to rest, allowing its internal temperature to rise and reach a lovely medium rare with a rosy pink interior full of promise. Serve it with mushrooms cooked in all that butter and parsley potatoes lavished with the pan sauce.

You’ll no doubt have some leftover steak, and that’s not a terrible conundrum. Know that the flavors of leftover meat mellow, so plan to give them a boost. You can slice it thin and stack it into a crusty roll with plenty of horseradish-spiked mayo, but this meat is so good, it deserves more thoughtful treatment.

How about a salad of roasted cherry tomatoes, Italian borlotti beans and chopped olives in a warm vinaigrette? Or, slice and serve the steak with rice, steamed broccoli, plenty of bang bang sauce and a few shakes of togarashi seasoning for more heat and tang. Two more ways to keep the celebration going.

This beautiful big steak, basted in butter, develops a wonderful crust and served with mushrooms and potatoes, all lavished in a rich pan sauce. A celebratory dinner for two (with more to come). From Beth Dooley.

Directions

Generously salt and pepper the steak on both sides and set aside.

Put the potatoes into a medium pot and cover with generously salted water. Set over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes, and drain. Cut into ¼-inch pieces and set aside.

Heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the oil to the pan and when it ripples, add the steak. Firmly press the steak into the pan and let it sizzle for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the butter and flip the steak. When the butter is melted and beginning to foam, start spooning it over the steak as you flip and baste it several times, cooking until the internal temperature reads about 115 to 120 degrees on meat thermometer. Remove the steak and allow to rest.

Serves 4.

Bang bang or yum yum sauce, the mayonnaise-based Japanese steakhouse sauce, sparks a bright assembly of sliced steak, red bell pepper, rice and steamed broccoli. Try it on broiled chicken or shrimp, slathered onto a burger and as a dip with sliced raw veggies The balance of savory, sweet, and tang is grounded by nutty dark sesame oil. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week. From Beth Dooley.

For the bang bang sauce:

For the rice:

For the broccoli:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, paprika, mayonnaise, ketchup, and vinegar. If too thick, add a little hot water, about 1 teaspoon at a time. Whisk in the sesame oil and salt to taste.

To cook the rice, place the rice and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes with the lid on; fluff with a fork before serving.

To cook the broccoli, put the broccoli into a medium saucepan and cover with water. Add a generous pinch salt. Set over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until the broccoli turns bright green, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain immediately and set aside.

To serve, arrange the steak, broccoli and red peppers on a serving platter or individual plates. Garnish with the togarashi seasoning, if using, and serve the bang bang sauce in a cup on the side. Any leftover bang bang sauce can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Serves 2.

For the vinaigrette:

For the salad:

Directions

To make the vinaigrette: Put the olive oil and garlic into a small saucepan and set over low heat. When the oil just begins to ripple, remove and transfer to a small bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and mustard until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

To roast the cherry tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scatter the tomatoes over the baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt. Roast until the tomatoes shrink and blister, about 10 to 20 minutes.

Tip: Freshly cooked dried beans are best, but canned will also do the trick. To cook borlotti beans, put 1 cup beans in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover by 4 inches. Soak overnight. Drain and transfer to a pot. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by 4 inches. Add salt to taste, 1 bay leaf, ½ carrot, ½ onion, 2 garlic cloves and several peppercorns. Set over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender and silky. Strain and reserve the cooking liquid (bean broth). Store extra beans and bean broth separately in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze.