Pan-Fried Strip Steak with Crispy Garlic and Chile Oil

Gorgeous marbling encourages crispy bits. The crunchy garlic chips on this short rib steak belong on every steak you make. Ideally, you’d make the chile oil with a mix of dried chiles. If you can’t find the two listed, ancho, gochugaru, or even black pepper will work.

2 strip steak (~ 1½ lbs)
sea salt
3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
⅓ cup + 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Maras or Aleppo-style pepper
1 tsp. Urfa pepper

Garnish:
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
flaky sea salt

Pat short ribs dry; season generously with kosher salt. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour for even cooking.

Meanwhile, cook garlic and ⅓ cup oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat, shaking pan occasionally, until garlic is barely golden and just starting to crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer garlic and oil to a small bowl; let cool slightly (~ 2 minutes). Stir in Maras and Urfa peppers; season with kosher salt. Let cool completely.

Heat a large heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high 5 minutes. (You want the pan to get smoking hot) Pat meat again to remove any excess moisture that may have been released from salt and rub with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Cook meat, turning occasionally, until deeply browned and crusty all over, about 4 minutes for wider sides and 2 minutes for shorter sides. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Divide meat among plates. Spoon garlic and infused oil over and splash with vinegar; sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.