Chef and restaurateur Lydia Shire shared her father's recipe for flank steak with us. On Saturdays he'd bring out the cast-iron pan and turn the stove on high—then wait until it was smoking hot before adding the steak and letting it cook. Patience is the secret to this preparation: If the pan is sufficiently heated, a dark crust forms to seal in the juices perfectly.

2 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1  1 1⁄2-lb. piece flank steak, about 3⁄4" thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped curly parsley

1. Warm butter and garlic in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Discard garlic. Set butter aside in a warm place.

2. Pat steak dry with paper towels, then season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. When pan begins to smoke, coat with oil, then add steak (oil will spatter). For rare (the way Shire likes it), sear until almost black. Don't move steak until ready to turn, or seal formed by crust will break. Cook about 4 minutes on each side.

3. Transfer steak to a platter; top with garlic butter. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Allow steak to rest for 10 minutes. Cut across the grain into 1⁄4" slices. Spoon juices over steak and top with parsley.