Steaks with Garlic Topping

I love a good steak.  We never used to cook them at home because I was convinced that only fancy restaurants could prepare a good steak.

I used to work in an industry where I attended a ton of dinners with clients, and they were often held at a steakhouse.  No wonder I had trouble maintaining my ideal weight...eating steak twice a week isn't necessarily the diet of supermodels or anything.  I don't really know what my excuse is NOW, since its been awhile since I've done these dinners with any frequency, but that's not really the point of this story.  The point of the story is that I got very, very spoiled when it came to steak, and any cut of meat besides a nice filet paid for on someone's corporate account just didn't feel right.

But since no one has offered to give me access to their corporate account lately, I decided it was time to try cooking our own steaks.  We bought some nice strip steaks and paid for it with our own credit card.  If you have a corporate account and like my blog, totally let me know and I'll let you pay the credit card bill.  I'm just saying.

Anyway, while these steaks weren't QUITE as good as a fancy, buttery (free) filet, they were still pretty good.  They were made better by two facts.  First, my husband cooked them.  Second, they were topped with garlicky cream cheese.  Can't beat that, my friends.  Can't beat that.

Steaks with Garlic Topping

Source: South Beach Recipes

4 strip steaks, 1-inch thickness, trimmed

2 tablespoons canola oi

For the topping:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or chopped green onion tops
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

To prepare the topping, in a small bowl, combine the garlic, cream cheese, ricotta, chives, and pepper. Using a fork, mix until smooth. Set aside.

Rinse the steaks and pat dry with paper towels In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook, turning once, for 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until desired doneness.

Using a wide spatula, place the steaks on serving plates.  Immediately top each steak with about a tablespoon of the topping.  Let steaks stand until topping melts slightly, then serve.