Tenderloin, 12 ounce, with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, sitting in the fridge for 12 hours on a cooling rack prior to being cooked on the grill just a tad bit beyond rare (grill heated up to about 550 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes before throwing the steaks on, then immediately dial the burner back down to low, come back in 7 minutes to flip them over).
Serve with a baked sweet potato with butter and a little dark brown sugar.
I’ll also accept prime rib, rare, with a baked potato.
If I’m not having beef stew (chuck or stew beef) or cheeseburgers (not fussy about type or fat, medium), it’s probably the New England thing of steak tips. Because they’re usually small, they cook evenly and consistently. I like med-rare to med, marinated. A local place, Dom’s, is the best.
I could go a little more esoteric with picanha or something like that, but I’ll stick with a good ol’ porterhouse. Normally, “ribeye” is the answer to this question for me, but nowadays, I kind of like the variety a porterhouse or T-bone gives me. I have a delicious strip steak on the one side and the less flavorful, but delightfully textured filet on the other side. I’ll take it on the rare side of medium rare, served with chimichurri (though I won’t so no to a nice béarnaise or treatment au poivre, as well.)
Prime ribeye, still mooing. OK, not that bad - it needs to be warm in the center. But rare. Or tartare, if prepared right. But it has to be Prime. Choice won’t due and I’m willing to pay for it, as rarely (sorry) as I get to eat it.
If someone else is cooking and paying, prime rib, on the rare side of medium rare, with plenty of salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
If I’m cooking and paying (a lot), probably a boneless ribeye, seasoned with coarse salt and pepper, on the rarer side of medium rare, cooked it a rocket hot cast iron skillet lubed with ghee, in which I very briefly warmed some home-grown (my MiL’s) coarse sliced garlic and rosemary. After the steak is done, add a bunch of quartered baby bellas and more ghee, and use them and a scraper to get all the goodness off the bottom of the pan.
Add the garlic and rosemary to the cooked mushrooms, serve with steak and crusty bread.
But who am I kidding, I buy a steak 2-3 times a year at current prices. So, yeah, now I’m drooling and full of sadness.
T-bone. Medium-ish - I want it hot in the middle and pink but not red. A good-sized knob of herb butter on top, with a loaded baked potato and either French onion soup or a wedge salad on the side.
Texas style BBQ ribs, or smoked brisket. I mean, I loves me a well prepared ribeye or porterhouse, but I go nuts for a great slow cooked plate of ribs.
I will say picanha, medium rare, grilled with salt and pepper and a bit of garlic. On the side a big helping of mash made with sour cream and garlic, and roasted green beans with bearnaise… For dessert, tiramisu, or maybe peach and/or cherry pie with vanilla ice cream alongside.