MEGAN FRANCES LLOYD
// writer

Father's Day

WHAT TO COOK THIS FATHER’S DAY

Originally published by Tramontina USA

Serve up Father’s Day steak dinner with a garden herb sauce and two simple sides, like crispy potato wedges and slow-roasted tomatoes. Or just treat Dad to steak and cake for dinner…no judgment here.

A few simple sides that can be set in the oven and forgotten are great when you’re needing some extra time to finish the cake and throw on the steaks. Baked potato wedges are creamy, crispy, and simple, while slow-roasted tomatoes pack just the right amount of acidity and sweetness to balance the wedges’ saltiness; think of them as a healthy alternative to french fries and ketchup. Spoon on a a garlicky herb sauce to brighten the evening and offset the richness from the steak… and that cake you’ll be devouring later.

B U T T E R Y   C A S T  I R O N   S T E A K 

Cast iron is ideal for searing steaks. It retains heat and sustains it, caramelizing the meat into crispy goodness on every surface, while still giving you a juicy, tender interior. We promise you’ll never cook a steak any other way.

Serves: 4    |       Prep Time:  5 min   |      Cook Time:  10-15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 steaks (strip, rib eye, sirloin, tenderloin, porterhouse, or filet mignon)

  • Coarse salt

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • 4 Tablespoons canola oil

  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS 

  1. Pat steaks dry with paper towel and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.

  2. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil per steak in a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. In other words, if you are able to fit 2 steaks in the pan at the same time, heat 2 Tablespoons of oil accordingly.

  3. Place steaks in pan. Be careful not to crowd the pan—you will likely need to cook them in two batches depending on their size.

  4. Cook on one side until deep golden brown, about 4-6 minutes depending on the thickness.

  5. Flip steaks and cook again until golden brown—keeping in mind your preference for doneness. Use an instant-read thermometer to test for doneness. A medium steak should be removed from the pan around 135-140ºF, as it will continue to cook after you take it off the heat. If you have very thick steaks like a filet mignon cut, we recommend also searing them on their edges for extra crispiness and to lock in flavor.

  6. One minute before you are ready to remove your steak, depending on your desired doneness, add butter to pan (1 Tablespoon of butter per steak). Tilt pan to create a pool of butter, and spoon over steak until butter is bubbling and amber in color.

  7. Remove from heat, set steaks on cutting board and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving to maintain moisture.

G A R D E N   H E R B   S A U C E 

This is the versatile sauce you want to spoon over practically everything. We recommend drizzling it on a buttery cast-iron steak, roasted potatoes wedges, or sautéed veggies.

Serves: 6-8    |     Prep Time: 10-15 min

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup fresh basil

  • 2 cups fresh parsley

  • 4 teaspoons fresh oregano

  • 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary

  • 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme

  • 1 Tablespoons fresh tarragon

  • 1 Tablespoons fresh sage

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 3 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

  • 1 ½ cup olive oil

  • Salt

  • Fresh ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Chop and place herbs and garlic in food processor and blend until finely minced.

  2. Add vinegar and blend. Scrape down the sides to ensure garlic and herbs are combined.

  3. While food processor is running, slowly add oil until emulsified.

  4. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge to let the flavors marinate, about 2 hours or overnight if you have the time.

P O T A T O   W E D G E S 

Baked potato wedges are creamy, crispy and the perfect side for any meal. Get crazy and serve them with a garden herb sauce.

Serves: 4-6   |   Prep Time: 10 min   |   Cook Time: 35 min

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large potatoes

  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400º F. Wash and scrub the potatoes well.

  2. Cut potatoes lengthwise into long wedges, about 1-inch thick.

  3. Season with oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly and place in baking pan in an even layer.

  4. Bake potatoes for 25-35 minutes, turning wedges in the pan to other side after 15-20 minutes. Bake them until they are golden brown, crispy on the edges, and soft in the middle.

S L O W - R O A S T E D   T O M A T O E S 

Slow roasting tomatoes brings out all their sweetness, making them the perfect side for a buttery cast iron steak or on top of crusty bread and cheesy pastas.

Serves: 4   |   Prep Time: 5 min   |   Cook Time: 1 hr

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

  • 4 large tomatoes, halved and tough stems removed

  • Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

  2. Oil a sheet pan and place tomatoes in pan, cut side up. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Roast until tomatoes begin to brown underneath and skins wrinkle, about 1 hour.

C L A S S I C   C H O C O L A T E   C A K E

This classic chocolate cake recipe is the cake of all cakes. It’s rich enough to make you close your eyes in total delight but light enough to eat the biggest slice your plate will hold.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves: 8-10   |   Prep Time: 1 hr   |   Cook Time: 35 min

INGREDIENTS

CAKE:

  • 1 cup cocoa powder

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar

  • 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 egg yolks

  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FROSTING:

  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

CAKE:

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

  2. Grease two 10-inch round cake pans. Cut rounds of parchment to line just the bottom of each pan. Coat the inside walls with flour by placing a spoonful in each pan and shaking it around until the sides are evenly covered. Shake out excess flour.

  3. Combine cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and sift to remove lumps. Set aside.

  4. In an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy, scraping down bowl every now and then to make sure every last bit gets combined.

  5. Add eggs, yolks, vanilla, and beat until combined.

  6. In 3 alternating additions, add buttermilk and then dry mixture until combined. In other words, add ⅓ of your dry mixture and ⅓ of your buttermilk, mix until combined, then continue until all dry ingredients and buttermilk are combined. Scrape down the bowl to remove any other lumps and mix one more time to fully incorporate.

  7. Pour batter evenly into into two cake rounds. Bake 25-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  8. Cool on rack in pans for 5-10 minutes. Grease your cooling rack(s) and turn cakes on to racks to cool completely. Once cool, remove the parchment paper.

FROSTING:

  1. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy.

  2. Slowly pour in cooled chocolate, heavy cream, and vanilla until combined. Whip a 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

ASSEMBLY:

  1. Place 1 cooled layer onto serving surface. Spread about 1 ½ cups of frosting on first layer, until it spills over the sides.

  2. Place in fridge for 10 minutes. Remove from fridge, place other layer of cake on frosting and top with existing frosting, spreading around the sides and smoothing all around. You can also make swirls in the cake for a more rustic and classic look.

  3. Keep at room temperature for a day or two—if you can make it last that long!