How to make a ridiculously delicious steak dinner at home (and still feel that restaurant magic)

Dining out at a steakhouse is one of the most cherished restaurant experiences. From the ambiance to the food, steakhouses evoke a timeless and richly satisfying overall experience. If you've been yearning for an especially well-cooked steak with all of the standard sides to help bolster the meal, then you've come to the right place. While you may have a favorite steakhouse that prepares your beef exactly how you like it, there's no need to feel like you can't replicate that magic without ever leaving home.

Sure, there are an inordinate amount of "rules" to abide by, according to various books, media outlets and recipes. But, at the end of the day, a good piece of meat is a good piece of meat. A ridiculously delicious dinner takes little more than a high-quality steak, some fats and aromatics and a generous shower of flaky salt.

RELATED: A fool-proof method for delicious pesto (and how to easily customize it with over 50 ingredients)

Groceries and kitchen tools: A check-list

Here's a run-down of some of the most important specifics to keep in mind prior to cooking a steakhouse meal:

• Cast iron is definitely preferable, but it's by no means a deal-breaker if you don't have one. 
• We prefer a good sirloin for this preparation, but ribeyes also work especially well when cooked with the below recipe. 
• "Prime" is also great option, as well as organic or grass-fed, if available. 
• It's advisable to let your steak come to room temperature prior to beginning the cooking process, but it's also not a huge deal if you're short on time and unable to do so. Room temperature meat just cooks a bit more evenly. 
• The steak should be as dry as possible prior to cook time. 
• Lastly, be sure to aggressively season your beef — don't be shy by any means. Some cracked pepper is good, but it's imperative that the steak is heavily salted. 

Recipes that taste better than an actual steakhouse

We left the quantities very open-ended when we put together our steakhouse dinner recipes — they're just as great for an intimate dinner for two as they are for a large gathering. There's nothing like a deeply-flavored sauce to bolster the flavor of the steak, and pairing it with "meat and potatoes" is obviously unbeatable. We also included a super-simple roasted mushroom that you're likely to make on repeat once you try it, as well as a light, entirely raw salad to cut through the overt richness of the rest of the meal.

Good luck! Your kitchen is going to become the hottest new "steakhouse" in town before you know it.

***

Recipe: Ridiculously Delicious Steak

Ingredients: 

• 1.5- to 2-inch thick prime sirloin, ribeye, or other cut (preferably grass-fed and/or organic, brought to room temperature)*
• Neutral oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, etc.)
• Unsalted butter
• Thyme and/or rosemary sprigs
• Whole garlic cloves, peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• Flaky sea salt, optional

*Aim for about 1/2 lb. of meat per dinner guest. 

Directions: 

1. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoon(s) of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is lightly rippling, carefully add the steak (dropping one end away from you to ensure no splatter hits you), and let cook undisturbed for 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully flip, and cook for another 5 minutes. 
2. Add a few tablespoons of butter, a few sprigs of thyme/rosemary and some garlic cloves. If you're comfortable doing so, this is the point where you can baste: Carefully tilt the pan to allow the fat to pool in the corner, and then spoon this fat over the steak repeatedly. Feel free to flip and do so on the other side, as well. Cook until the steak is deeply browned and a crust has formed. 
3. The timing changes depending on the thickness of the meat, the number of people you're feeding and your desired temperature. But the general rule is to ensure that you let the meat rest for a good 5 to 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute prior to slicing. (If you wait 10 minutes to slice and the meat is still under, feel free to throw it in a preheated 375-degree oven until you reach the desired temperature.) 
4. Slice, fan out the steak pieces and sprinkle with some additional flaky salt.

***

Recipe: Steakhouse Sauce

Ingredients:

• Neutral oil
• Shallots, finely minced
• Garlic, finely minced (optional)
• Red wine
• Beef stock
• Unsalted butter
• Heavy cream (optional)

Directions: 

1. Heat oil in a deep pot over medium-low heat. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper and cook until translucent — you don't want any color on these. Add garlic, if using. 
2. Carefully, add red wine. (You may want to do this off the heat if you have any concerns.) Reduce until the pan is nearly dry. Add beef stock, raise heat to medium-high and simmer until the mixture has reduced and thickened considerably, about 20 minutes. The reduction should be "nappe" prior to moving to the next step, which speaks to the viscosity of the sauce and involves noting if it "coats the back of a spoon." In order to verify this, you can stir your reduction with a spoon, turn the spoon over and carefully drag your finger through the sauce on the spoon. If the two sides say separate, the line stays "clean" and the mixture clings to the spoon, you're good to go!
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add individual tablespoons (or "pats") of butter, and let them melt into the sauce. If using, you can now add a touch of cream if you'd like to further fortify the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste at the very end of the cooking process. (The repeated reductions can make this salty if you season too early, so be sure to hold off on seasoning until the end.)

***

Recipe: Steakhouse Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Yukon golds or russet/Idaho potatoes (peeled and cut into even-sized, uniform chunks)
• Kosher salt
• Heavy cream
• Unsalted butter
• Shredded cheese, optional (sharp cheddar, fontina, gruyere, etc.)
• Freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. In a pot of heavily salted water, cook potato chunks in rapidly simmering water until completely tender. 
2. When fully tender, mash completely with a potato masher.
3. Add a splash of cream, a few pats of butter and shredded cheese (if using). Mash, and mix until the mixture is totally homogeneous. Season to taste. 

Other starchy side options: rice, buttered egg noodles, etc.

***

Recipe: Steakhouse Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• Baby bellas or standard white button mushrooms (cleaned, dried and quartered)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix mushrooms quarters on a sheet tray with extra virgin olive oil until just lightly glistening. (Important: Do not season!) Cook for 20 minutes, stir and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are deeply brown and crisp. 
2. Season with kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.

Other vegetable options: buttered peas with mint; roasted carrots with goat cheese and toasted walnuts; sautéed green beans with shallot; and the list goes on. There's almost no limit to the wonderful veggie options that can accompany steak dinners!

***

Recipe: Raw Steakhouse Salad

Ingredients: 

• Any mix of raw veggies (such as fennel, jicama or radish), very thinly sliced
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Citrus (orange, blood orange, grapefruit, etc.)
• Hazelnuts, toasted
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

1. Arrange raw veggies in a large bowl. Place toasted nuts and fresh shavings of Parm over the top.
2. Supreme the citrus carefully. Peel the fruit, cut off the very top and very bottom, and then hold the fruit in your hand and make cuts in accordance with the natural segments of the citrus. Do this all around the fruit, until multiple "segments" fall out onto your cutting board, and then add them to the large bowl. Once complete, squeeze the remaining fruit into a small bowl to collect the juice. 
3. Whisk lightly as you lightly pour a stream of olive oil into the juice until you've created a light "dressing." Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad, toss and then shave some additional Parm over the top. Garnish with finely chopped nuts and more parsley.

***

More from this author: 

• The absolute best way to cook fennel (because this underappreciated veggie deserves a Renaissance)
• A fool-proof method for delicious pesto (and how to easily customize it with over 50 ingredients)
• From Italian monks to Airbnb: The storied history of Parmigiano-Reggiano

Salon Food writes about stuff we think you'll like. Salon has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.