I refer a lot of work. My friends at Dojo4 wanted to say thanks. So, they got me a Big Lou's Butcher gift certificate.

(Saying thank you with meat is *definitely* encouraged)

Today was the expiry date for the certificate, so I went on a meat buying spree.

For the record: 1 container duck fat, 8 maple thyme breakfast sausages, 2 thick cut pork chops, a hefty hunk of porkchetta, 2 duck legs, and 2 Pemberton Meadows Dry-Aged Striploins.

(don't worry - all the other meats had fancy farm sources, too)

I don't usually buy super expensive steaks. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the most expensive meat I've ever bought.

I'm more of a ferial* meat eater - give me a hunk of pork, I'll sauce it nicely, and various carbs to soak up the juices and stretch it out.

In any case, this is me saying I don't cook steak like this very often. The photo is how it turned out - a very nice crust, even pink throughout, somewhere between medium / medium-rare.

The guidelines I used were from this post: http://www.beyondsalmon.com/2006/09/perfect-steak-at-last.html

The only change I did was to use butter and canola oil. The smoke and fire alarm going off tells me the pan was hot enough.

I did use tongs, did cook the steaks one minute on each side, but also held the fatty side of the steak against the pan for about a minute to crisp the fat as well.

The only change I would make would be to salt the meat more. This is easily fixed at the table - I need to get better at trusting my gut with that.

Oh right - taste! The steaks were delicious ;)

*there is a cook book / meditation on eating & cooking whose whole premise is festal (aka festival / special / rich people) vs. ferial (aka everyday / working man) cooking & eating. See my review of 'The Supper Of the Lamb' http://www.allconsuming.net/entry/view/39669