Few proteins rival the tender, juicy, marbled taste of a great steak. I’ve never visited the Mastro’s in Midtown Manhattan, but I was lucky enough to attend a corporate event at the City Hall location in Scottsdale, Arizona a few years back and the food was fabulous. So when Michael and I were deciding on an anniversary dinner, I suggested we order out the Steak Kit from Mastro’s.
Two huge shopping bags of goodies were delivered right to my door(man) in record time. First we enjoyed a large Caesar salad. The leaves were a bit big, so I did a fast chop in my trusty wooden bowl that I use for just about everything (a great gift from my Dad ten years ago!), and then I added the decadent garlicky, cheesy dressing and giant salty croutons.
Next we moved onto the do it yourself portion of the kit. Two raw 28-day, wet aged cryo-vac sealed steaks were quickly released from their plastic packaging and Michael liberally sprinkled Mastro’s secret house steak rub on all sides of each 8-ounce filet before he seared them in a cast iron pan. After a quick but thorough char, he slid the pan into the oven to roast for 15 minutes. We added a small dollop of salted butter to the meat as it rested. Not being able to wait the impossible 10-15 minutes the directions suggested, we dove in after a full 300 seconds.
The generous portions of creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes were still warm, but we nuked them anyway just before the steaks were done. The meal was spectacular. The filets were butter knife-tender and the sides were outstanding. We had plenty of spinach and potatoes left over and I only finished half of my exceptional steak because I needed to save room for dessert.
Their signature butter cake was a sweet finish. We microwaved individual portions and then added the included toppings of a raspberry glaze, fresh strawberries and diced orange segments, whipped cream and ice cream, all beautifully delivered in separated plastic ramekins. The whole meal was truly perfection. Even when indoor dining returns to full capacity, I think I’ll still be a little in love with Mastro’s take out. (Ok, and with Michael too ❤️.)
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