Published September 1, 2000. From Cook's Illustrated.
For a pan-seared steak recipe with a full-bodied, complex steak sauce, we cooked the steaks in a high-quality, heavy pan, reducing the heat to prevent burning and moving the steaks only once. By adding a few extra ingredients to the traditional trio of wine or brandy, stock, and butter, we transformed canned stock into a luxurious, refined sauce for our meat.
To cook two steaks instead of four, use a 10-inch skillet and halve the sauce ingredient quantities. Pan sauces cook quickly, so prepare the ingredients before you begin cooking the steaks. Use a heavy skillet with a nonreactive cooking surface.
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