When you mean “I love you,” say it with steak
Here’s a delight for the eye as well as the palate: The Sweetheart Steak—a boneless rib or strip steak butterflied into the shape of a heart. As you might imagine this is a popular presentation for birthdays, anniversaries and, of course, Valentine’s Day.
And while you can have one of Lobel’s master butchers butterfly a steak for you, here are DIY instructions to butterfly at home.
How to Create a Sweetheart Steak
For this, you should use a medium-sized, straight-edged knife—our Lobel’s Signature 6-inch Butcher Knife is ideal—because you may need to do some fine trimming.
Before you get started, you’ll need to choose a steak. It should be a boneless rib steak or strip steak and must be thick enough to withstand butterflying. Remember that once you’ve butterflied the steak, each side will be half the thickness you started with. For example, a 20-ounce steak will result in, essentially, two 10-ounce steaks (once cooked and carved). These photos show a 30-ounce strip steak.
1. Upon removing the steak from the refrigerator, place the steak fat side down.
2. Now, butterfly the steak—that is, cut the steak in half lengthwise, but not all the way through—to within 1/2 inch of the edge of fat.
3. “Open” the steak, pressing each side flat, using the edge of meat and fat as a hinge.
4. Depending on the natural shape of the strip, you now have a steak in the shape of a heart—more or less—this is where the fine trimming comes in.
Now allow the steak to come to room temperature before cooking.
Lobel’s Guide to Cooking the Perfect Steak is a great place to start if you’re looking for a recipe.
Here’s another tip: When you turn the Sweetheart Steak, use wide tongs or a spatula; grip the steak as close to the center of the hinge as possible.
Have you ever tried a Sweetheart Steak? Have you butterflied steaks or chops at home? What’s your favorite romantic meal to prepare at home?
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