Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men

Trudy's Rib Eye


Steak (Rib Eye, Porter house or sirloin at least 1 1/4 inches thick, approx 3/4 pound at room temperature.
Canola oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce Cognac
2 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place cast iron skillet in oven. Coat steak lightly with oil.
2. Spread ground peper on plate. Press the steak onto the pepper and the lift it up and put it down again several times, until the steak is covered with all the pepper it will hold. Turnsteak and press pepper firmly into meat with the heel of your hand. Apply pepper the same way on the other side.
3. Heat burner on stove t high heat.Remove skillet from oven and transfer to stove. Place steak in the middle of pan and cook for 30 second without moving. Turn and cook another 30 seconds and then place skillet in the oven for two minutes. Flip steak and cook another 2 minutes( 3 minutes per side for medium rare).
4. Remove steak from pan. cover with foil and allow to rest for 2 minutes.
5. While steak is resting, pour cognac into pan. stir into the juices in pan. add butter and stir. Pour sauce over steak and serve.
Yield: 1-2 servings
Leslie Kelly