As I stated a few weeks ago, I’ve been trying to cut back on how much meat I eat. I think I’ve been doing an OK job.  When I have eaten meat which is still pretty often, it’s mostly been chicken which is environmentally friendlier than red meat.  In the end though, I love my steak.  The other night I found myself home alone with no plans and grumbling stomach. My options were:

  1. pick up some take out
  2. or pickup some groceries and make myself dinner.

I decided on the latter. I went to the grocery store across the street and picked up just enough for dinner of one. I picked up a small steak, some broccoli, and a roll, all for a little less than $4. I could’ve easily paid less for my groceries if I planned my shopping or paid more had I gone to Whole Foods. The grocery store I went to is probably pricier than most. It’s in city of Boston, and is a grocery store of convenience rather than one at that people do a week’s worth of shopping.

Steak Dinner for One:

  • .5 lbs Boneless stip sirloin, 3/4 of inch thick.
  • .5 lbs Brocolli
  • 1 Roll
  • butter, salt and pepper

Season steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat up a frying pan on high, and melt a pat of butter. As the butter begins to bubble, place steak onto the frying pan. Brown each side for 1 minute.  Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook the steak, flipping periodically.  The outside should be nicely browned. For rare to medium rare (the way I like my steak), each side should cook for a total of 3-4 minutes.

Wash and trim Broccoli to large bite size crowns. Heat up at high a frying pan or a wok. Pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil into the hot pan. Toss broccoli into the pan/wok, and add some water. Season with salt to taste. Cover and cook. Toss every 30 seconds to ensure the the broccoli cooks evenly. 5 minutes of total cooking time should be enough for crunchy yet tender broccoli.

Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes

For a quick comparison, a similar meal at Outback Steakhouse in Boston would’ve have run $13.64 not including tip.  I used the “Outback Special” which if my recollection is right runs $12.99 for a sirloin strip.  It’s one of the better values on the menu.  To be honest and immodest I thought my steak was better.

While I love eating at a nice steakhouse, steak is also one of the easiest things to prepare at home.  If I were comparing the price difference between my steak at home vs. a nice steak house, it would be close to a factor of 10.  Though I’m not sure if my steak would be as good as a $30 steak at the Morton’s or the Capital Grille.  Though I’m convinced that the steak at Morton’s is not 10 times better than a $3 steak.

While my blog probably does not reflect it, I’m a bit of a foodie.  Hopefully not in the snobby sense.  I just love food.  I will try to do more dining comparisons in the future and share some recipes.  Today I decided to “share” what is probably the most basic meal that one can make.