If you’re hankering for a great steak but don’t have access to a grill, try this soy-sauce-marinated rib-eye recipe from Le Pigeon (nicknamed the Dirty Bird) in Portland, Oregon. Throw the steaks in a smoking-hot cast-iron skillet, sear on one side, flip them over, and top with butter. Finish the steaks in the oven, then serve with a seemingly odd but tasty Hawaiian-inspired relish made with pineapple and blue cheese. A pile of crispy semolina-coated onion rings makes the perfect side.

  • Yields: 2 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 35 mins, plus 2 hrs marinating time

Ingredients (11)

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 (1-1/4- to 1-1/2-inch-thick) boneless beef rib-eye steaks (about 12 ounces each)
  • 1/4 cup small-dice yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup small-dice pineapple
  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place the soy sauce in a shallow baking dish. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, place them in the dish, and turn to coat in the soy sauce. Marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, flipping the steaks halfway through.
  2. About 30 minutes before the steaks are ready, place the onion and vinegar in a medium bowl and stir to combine; set aside. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat until shimmering (there should be a thin coating of oil over the entire surface of the pan—add more if needed).
  4. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and carefully place them in the pan. Cook undisturbed until the bottoms are deeply browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Flip the steaks over, divide the butter over the top of the steaks, and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steaks registers 125°F to 130°F for medium rare, about 3 minutes more.
  6. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board or plates, season with salt, and let rest for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, finish the relish.
  7. Add the pineapple, blue cheese, parsley, and remaining tablespoon of oil to the reserved onion-vinegar mixture, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Serve the steak topped with the relish.