Delmonico's Steak Oscar

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place the butter in a medium bowl. Add the parsley, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and stir until combined. Set the maître d’hotel butter aside while you cook the steaks.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Rub both sides of the steaks with 4 teaspoons of the olive oil, and season evenly with the remaining 4

teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Place the steaks in the hot skillet (in batches if necessary) and cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. Then transfer the skillet to the oven and roast to the desired degree of doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare (depending on the thickness of the steak and whether your steak is bone-in or boneless). An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should register 130°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium.

While the steaks are cooking, toss the asparagus with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and place on a large baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, transfer to the oven, and roast until asparagus are crisp-tender and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the skillet and baking sheet from the oven; let the steaks stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the maître d’hotel butter. Add the crabmeat and cook, stirring gently so as to not break up the lumps, until the crabmeat is warmed through.

When ready to serve, top each steak with several spears of the asparagus and divide the crabmeat among the steaks. Drizzle each plate with Bearnaise Sauce and serve, passing any remaining Bearnaise Sauce at the table if desired.

Cook’s note:  Any unused maître d’hotel butter can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to several months.