Welcome to Mad Men Week! Every day this week, I’m celebrating the March 25 return of “Mad Men” with recipes inspired by the show. Because it’s been gone way too long.

Imagine a world where you can eat as much beef as you want with absolutely no consequences.

Oh, look! It’s NYC in the 1960s!

Seriously, you can’t have a “Mad Men” menu without steak. These guys are eating it or talking about eating it in almost every episode.

There’s Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) telling his wife to make him a ribeye in a pan with butter. Ken Cosgrove taking clients for “steaks and a show.” Lane Pryce getting ripped and holding a T-bone steak to his groin, shouting, “I got a big Texas belt buckle. YEEHAW!”

In the world of “Mad Men,” that happened.

So, steak.

Am I going to lecture you about how to cook your steak? No, and I don’t want to get into how “done” you should be cooking your steak.

We’re all adults here.

You know that salt is good, turning the steak with a fork (instead of tongs) is bad, and being too cheap to buy a $5 meat thermometer is crazy.

I just want to share two good recipes for cooking a T-Bone, whether you want to pan-roast it indoors or grill it outside.

The grilling recipe is pretty standard, except that you freeze the raw steak for an hour. Freezing dries out the steak, giving it that “dry-aged” effect that can cost big bucks.

Freezing also helps you get a great crust without overcooking the steak.

But when the weather doesn’t cooperate with my grilling plans, I go for a pan-roasted steak that you cook completely in an ovenproof skillet. Since it doesn’t have that extra layer of flavor from grilling, it’s the perfect steak to dress up with blue cheese or a great sauce.

Or, you can be lazy like me and just brush it with butter.

Add a cocktail, a loaded baked potato and a high-priced call girl, and you’ll be dining like Draper in no time.

Even More “Mad Men”:

Blue Hawaiian

Jameson and Ginger

Rum French Toast with Maple-Rum Syrup

Creamed Spinach Gratin

No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake

Stupendous Strawberry Shake

“Mad Men” Menu Ideas (2010)

“Mad Men” Premiere Menu (2009)

Grilled T-Bone Steak

Adapted from “Cook’s Country” (August/September 2010)

• 1 T-bone steak, about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (optional)

1. Pat the steak dry with paper towels, and rub both sides with salt.
2. Place the steak on a wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet, and freeze it until the steak feels dry, about 45 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill to high. Leave primary burner on high, and turn other burner(s) off. (For charcoal grill, light about 100 coals, and wait until they’re covered with fine gray ash. Spread them over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered, with lid vent open completely, for 5 minutes.) Scrape and oil cooking grate.
4. Pull the steak out of the freezer, and season it with pepper.
5. Place the steak over the hot side of the grill, with the tenderloin area closer to the cool side.
6. Cook, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
7. Take the steak off the grill, and brush both sides with oil.
8. Place the steak back on the cool side of grill, and cook until desired doneness. (While the steak is resting, its internal temperature will rise around 5 degrees, so plan accordingly.)
9. Take the steak off the grill, and let it rest on a warmed plate for 7 minutes. (While resting, the steak’s temperature can rise 5-10 degrees.)
10. Brush the steak with melted butter, if you’d like. Dig in!

Internal Temperature Guide for Steak: Rare (125-130°F), Medium Rare (130-140°F), Medium (140-150°F), Medium Well (150-155°F), Well Done (155°F+). The USDA recommends cooking steak to at least 145°F. Use your best judgment.

Pan-Roasted T-Bone Steak

Rebecca Crump (Ezra Pound Cake)

• 1 T-bone steak, about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Grab a few paper towels, and pat the steak dry.
3. Let the steak sit out at room temperature for at least 40 minutes.
4. Place a large ovenproof pan or skillet over high heat until the pan starts to smoke.
5. Brush the steak with olive oil, and rub it with salt and pepper.
6. Place the steak in the pan. (And turn on the fan! There will be smoke.)
7. Cook the steak for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, using tongs to turn it.
8. Slide the skillet into the oven, and roast the steak until desired doneness. (While the steak is resting, its internal temperature will rise around 5 degrees, so plan accordingly.)
9. Place the steak on a warmed plate, and let it rest for 7 minutes.
10. Brush with melted butter, if you’d like. Dig in!

Internal Temperature Guide for Steak: Rare (125-130°F), Medium Rare (130-140°F), Medium (140-150°F), Medium Well (150-155°F), Well Done (155°F+). The USDA recommends cooking steak to at least 145°F. Use your best judgment.

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