A steak and potato dinner is an American cliche, but a delicious one. And in my mind, that gives us leave to play with — and enjoy — it without feeling guilty.
For my weeknight-friendly steak and taters, it was important to me that it be a one-pan wonder. Nobody wants tons of cleaning up on a weeknight. It also had to be fast and flavorful, which is why I opted for bison steaks. This widely available alternative to beef is naturally lean and deeply flavorful. That leanness means you need to cook it quickly and only to medium-rare.
If this meal has you feeling guilty — as if maybe you should try to squeeze some veggies into dinner — cut up some carrots into chunks roughly the size of the halved potatoes and add them at the same time.
Buttered Black Pepper Bison Steaks
Start to finish: 30 minutes. Servings: 4.
Four 6-ounce bison steaks
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
6 tablespoons butter, divided
24 ounces new potatoes, halved
Season the steaks on both sides with salt. Spread the pepper on a salad plate, then press both sides of each steak into the pepper to coat. The steaks can be coated with each diner’s desired level of pepper. Set aside.