A thick steak with tangy, slightly sweet barbecue sauce demands little more than heat and salt. The shelf sauce is built for this, so dinner takes the time it takes meat to rest.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 560 calories a serving, 81 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat until smoking. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Lay them in the pan and do not move them; you are building a crust.4 min
2. When the undersides are deep brown, about 4 minutes, flip the steaks and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness and how rare you like them. Transfer the steaks to a plate.4 min
3. While the steaks rest for 5 minutes, pour 1/2 cup of the shelf sauce into the empty skillet over medium heat and let it warm through, stirring once or twice, until it smells like caramel and spice. Return the steaks to the pan and turn them in the sauce to coat, then slide them onto plates and spoon the sauce over them.2 min

Note The sauce works equally well with grilled chicken or beef ribs; brush it on during the last few minutes of cooking. Leftovers keep two days wrapped in the fridge and reheat gently in a low oven. Serve with a green salad or roasted potatoes to soak up the sauce.