One-For-All Marinated Beef

Sarah came to the ranch for the second time Saturday, and this time she stayed overnight. She slept in the guest room — I was clear about that, not because there was any pressure either way, but because I wanted to get things right in the order that feels right rather than the order that circumstances suggest. She said, "That's fine by me." I said, "I know it is. I just wanted to say it." She said, "You're very deliberate." I said, "I have to be." She looked at me for a long moment and said, "Yes. I can see that."

We went riding Sunday morning. She rides, which I didn't know. She said her family had horses for a while when she was growing up in Helena. She's not an expert but she's comfortable, and Juniper — who is suspicious of new riders — tolerated her without dramatics, which I told Sarah was the highest possible endorsement Juniper could give. We went out along the east fence line and up to the ridge above the creek where you can see the whole ranch at once, all eight hundred acres and the Musselshell in the distance and the Bull Mountains and the sky. Sarah stopped her horse at the top and looked at it for a long time without saying anything. Then she said, "I understand now." I asked what she understood. She said, "Why you are the way you are." I said, "Which way?" She said, "Quiet. But not empty."

I made steak for dinner Saturday — two ribeyes in the cast iron, the way I know how. Simple. She ate all of hers. We talked until midnight. It was the longest I've talked to anyone in one evening since I came back from overseas and that number includes my therapist.

The ribeyes that night weren’t complicated — that was the whole point. After a day of showing Sarah the ranch, the ridge, the way the Musselshell catches the last of the afternoon light, I didn’t want dinner to be a performance. I wanted it to be honest. A good marinade, a hot cast iron, and enough time to just sit across the table from someone and talk. This is the one I use — it works on ribeyes, it works on everything, and it never asks more of you than you’re ready to give.

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 hours marinating | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 22 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

2 ribeye steaks (about 1 inch thick, 10–12 oz each)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt, to finish
1 tablespoon butter, for the skillet

Instructions

Make the marinade. Whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, black pepper, onion powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl until fully combined.
Marinate the steaks. Place ribeyes in a zip-close bag or shallow dish and pour marinade over them. Seal or cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours. Flip once halfway through if you can.
Bring to room temperature. Remove steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and let them rest on the counter. Pat dry with paper towels — this is what gets you a good sear.
Heat the skillet. Place a cast iron skillet over high heat and let it get very hot, about 2 minutes. Add butter and let it melt and just begin to brown.
Sear the steaks. Lay steaks into the skillet and cook without moving them for 4–5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until they reach your preferred doneness. For a 1-inch ribeye, 130°F internal is medium-rare.
Rest before serving. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and serve as-is — no garnish needed.

Nutrition (per serving)

One-For-All Marinated Beef — The Ribeyes I Made the Night She Stayed