The recipe

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Ingredients

The whole recipe is heat management: broccoli first so it chars while the pan is clean, steak second so it sears hard and fast, garlic butter last so it never burns.

Steps

  1. Pat the steak cubes very dry and season with the salt and pepper. Dry meat is the entire secret to a crust.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in your largest skillet over high until it shimmers. Lay the broccoli in flat-side down and leave it alone for 3 minutes, real char, not stirring. Toss, cook 2 more minutes, season with a pinch of salt, and move to a plate.
  3. Add the remaining oil. Sear the steak bites in a single layer, in two batches if needed, 2 minutes per side. Crowding the pan steams them, batches are faster than they feel.
  4. Lower the heat to medium. Return all the steak, add the butter, garlic, and thyme, and baste for 60-90 seconds, tilting the pan and spooning the foaming butter over the bites.
  5. Return the broccoli, toss once through the garlic butter, and kill the heat.
  6. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and flaky salt. Rest 2 minutes on the plate before eating, the juices settle.

Tips from our test

A 12-inch pan fits this in two steak batches; a 10-inch needs three. Medium-rare bites read 130°F / 54°C in the center right after basting. Our test run came in at 12 minutes of cook time flat, but only because everything was cut and standing by the stove first, do the same.

Swaps that work

Ribeye is the upgrade, chicken thighs the budget version (cook 3 minutes per side). Green beans or asparagus char even faster than broccoli, 2 minutes untouched, 2 minutes tossed. Rosemary can stand in for thyme; use half as much.

Storage and reheating

Fridge, 3 days. Reheat in a hot dry skillet for 2 minutes, the microwave takes the crust you worked for. Cold steak bites over salad leaves with the leftover garlic butter melted as dressing is a legitimately good lunch.

What to serve with it

It stands alone as a low-carb plate. For bigger appetites: cauliflower mash, or roasted potatoes for the rest of the table, the garlic butter covers everything it touches.