The mere thought of creamed spinach, buttery mashed potatoes, a bottle of bold red wine and a beautifully browned, thick-cut steak has my mouth watering as I type. But my wallet is a bit more ...

There is some debate about whether it helps to take a steak out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter — between 30 minutes and 2 hours — before searing. Is it 100 percent necessary? No.