Recipe of the week: Rib-eye steak: Simple concepts go a long way

I may have discovered a foolproof way to prepare a steak at home, said Rozanne Gold in Radically Simple (Rodale). Being a firm believer that much of “the best food in the world is the simplest,” I’m interested in drawing out essences, and “the essence of meat cookery is applying the proper technique to the right cut of meat and then serving it at the right temperature.”

A tough pork shoulder or sinewy cut of beef needs to be left alone for a long period to cook the flesh into tender submission, but a pork chop or quality cut of steak is best prepared using quick methods like grilling or searing. I now frequently make steak by rubbing in “copious amounts” of sumac, a traditional Middle Eastern spice, then searing the steak in a hot pan upon a thin layer of salt “until only blood rare.”

The recipe below was another recent discovery. Again the sour-salty taste of sumac is crucial, but this time the spice is combined with a mixture of salt, sugar, and two types of paprika to give the broiled steak a “ruddy crust.” Try pairing it with the spicy broccoli dish that follows.

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Recipes of the week

Reddened Rib Eye With Pimiento Cheese

For pimiento cheese:

8 oz very sharp yellow cheddar

3 oz pimientos, with 3 tbsp of their brine

6 tbsp mayonnaise

1 small garlic clove

For steaks:

1½ tsp sugar

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

½ tsp sweet paprika

1½ tsp salt

4 thick rib-eye steaks, about 12 oz each

¼ cup ground sumac

Chop cheese and put in food processor with pimientos, brine, mayonnaise, and garlic. Process until smooth; add salt and pepper. Chill.

Mix together sugar, both paprikas, and 1½ tsp salt. Rub steaks thoroughly with mixture and let sit 10 minutes. Preheat broiler. Rub sumac thickly on both sides of steaks, then place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil as close to heat as possible—for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Top each steak with scoop of pimiento cheese.

Charred Broccoli With Chilies and Garlic

Another new use for the broiler—creating broccoli with “a lovely char.”

2 large heads broccoli

6 tbsp olive oil

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 red Thai bird chilies, deseeded and

thinly sliced

1 tsp Thai fish sauce

Cut broccoli into florets with 2 inches of stem. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli to water and blanch. Drain immediately, then refresh under cold running water. Pat dry. Heat a rimmed baking sheet under broiler. Toss broccoli with 2 tbsp of oil and carefully arrange on hot pan. Broil 7 minutes, rotating pan twice, until broccoli is nicely charred.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chilies. Cook until crispy and golden, 2 minutes. Add the hot oil and fish sauce to broccoli and toss. Season with salt and pepper.