Pan-Seared Ribeye Steak with Quick Creamed Spinach Recipe

About once or twice a year, I'm struck by a desire to eat steak—and not just any old cut of meat, but a gigantic, thick-cut monster. While most of my cravings can easily be satisfied by going out to eat, I find the whole steakhouse experience prohibitively expensive. Plus, I feel like I'd have to wear a tie, and I really don't want to do that. Fortunately, recreating the experience at home can be done fairly easily. Just purchase one gorgeous, well-marbeled steak, pick out a classic side—like, say, creamed spinach—and you're set to go.

Fortunately, I didn't have to spend long looking for a pan-seared ribeye steak recipe, because Kenji did all the hard work for me. Basically, it goes like this: heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet, add the steak, flip it constantly, add butter halfway through, baste it like crazy while also flipping occasionally, remove, let rest, and you're done. Works like a charm. Just make sure to have some exhaust fans going or open some windows, because there will be smoke.

Unlike the steak, I was initially unsure where to start with the creamed spinach. I read through numerous recipes, many of which were overly complicated and fussy. In the spirit of simplicity, I just focused on the cream and the spinach. To help thicken the cream so it'd stick to the leaves, I made a quick roux with butter and flour, and then seasoned it with nutmeg and salt. For the spinach, I cooked it carefully with a little more butter until it just started to wilt, and immediately turned off the heat, so that the leaves were soft but not a pile of mush. Then I just combined the two. Done.

While still something of an extravagance, I find that my wife and I can share a large steak, and there will still be some leftovers.