Steak with Butter and Ginger Sauce - skirt

Method

• Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke.
• Add the steaks and cook until nicely browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Turn and brown the other side, another minute or two.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the steaks to a plate.
• When the skillet has cooled slightly, return it to the stove over medium heat.
• Add the butter and, when it melts, the ginger.
• About 30 seconds later, add the soy sauce and stir to blend.
• Return the steaks to the skillet, along with any of their accumulated juices.
• Cook the steaks for a total of about 4 minutes, turning three or four times.
• (If at any time the pan threatens to dry out entirely, add a couple of tablespoons of water.)
• At this point, the steaks will be medium-rare; cook for a little longer if you like and serve with the pan juices spooned over.
• Use garlic or shallots and a few leaves of tarragon instead of the ginger, and vinegar in place of the soy sauce for a French flair.
• Season the steak well with salt before you add it to the pan.
• Go Mediterranean: Substitute extra virgin olive oil for the butter, garlic for the ginger, and fresh lemon juice for the soy sauce.
• Be sure not to forget to salt the steaks.
• Give it a Thai accent: Substitute minced lemongrass for the ginger and nam pla for the soy sauce.
• You can substitute peanut oil for the butter or not.
• Add any minced herbs you like to the sauce, at about the same time you return the meat to the skillet.