Steak Dinner Day

What the day is

Steak Dinner Day is observed on March 14. It is an informal, lighthearted day with no documented founder, and it asks for something simple: make a good steak dinner, or go out for one. Some calendars describe it as a playful counterpart to Valentine's Day, a month later, built around a meal rather than flowers and cards.

The day is a good excuse to learn how to cook a steak well, which is less difficult than its reputation, and which is usually cheaper than a restaurant bill.

Origin and background

Beef has been central to American cooking for a long time, and the steakhouse became a fixture of city dining in the nineteenth century. Delmonico's, which opened in New York in 1837, is widely credited with helping to establish the idea of a formal steak dinner, and the Delmonico steak is still on menus today.

The cuts differ in tenderness and flavor. Ribeye is rich and well marbled. The strip steak, also called New York strip, is firmer with a strong beefy taste. Filet mignon, from the tenderloin, is the most tender and mildest. T-bone and porterhouse steaks combine a strip and a tenderloin around a bone, with the porterhouse containing the larger piece of tenderloin. Sirloin, flat iron and chuck eye are less expensive options that cook well when handled correctly.

Food safety guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture is to cook whole cuts of beef to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit and let them rest for three minutes. Many cooks prefer their steak rarer, around 130 to 135 degrees for medium-rare, and that is a personal choice that carries a small additional risk.

How to take part

• Pat the steak dry, season it generously with salt, and let it sit at room temperature for about thirty minutes.
• Sear it in a very hot cast-iron pan, a few minutes per side, then add butter, garlic and a sprig of thyme to baste.
• Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer rather than guessing.
• Rest the steak for five to ten minutes before cutting, which keeps the juices in the meat.
• Serve it with a simple side such as roasted potatoes or a green salad, and share it with someone.
• If you do not eat beef, grill a thick portobello mushroom or a slab of cauliflower the same way.