Ever since I was a little girl we would have steaks as a fancy family meal. Believe it or not, my dad would pass out white bread and us three kids would fight over the steaks juices to dip our bread into.

I wouldn't say I was the most cultured girl back then, but slowly I've progressed. My father never cooked steaks in a pan. He did it the classic way on the grill, but now that the temperatures have dropped, my boyfriend Gene and I have discovered the beauty of pan seared, butter basted steaks.

Gene has a way of creating a beautiful crust along the outside of the steak, sealing in all the juices. We made strip steaks, but you could use the same techniques for any cut.

To make these steaks, you will need 2 boneless strip steaks (or your favorite cut of meat), 2 tbsps butter, 1 tbsp fresh cracked salt and pepper, and fresh or dried rosemary and thyme. Bring your steak to room temperature, then apply a dry rub - equal parts coarse salt and freshly ground pepper is classic and always a winner.

Next, heat your pan to a medium high temperature. Add a little butter and stand the steaks up on end to sear the sides first. This takes a bit of practice because steaks tend to be a bit slippery. Let each side sear for about a minute. Sear the top and bottom faces in a similar fashion.

As you finish the last surface of your sear, reduce heat slowly and add 1/4 stick of butter and a few whole sprigs of rosemary and thyme. This is going to add a rich and earthy flavor to your steaks. Be careful to modulate heat carefully; thick steaks need a decent amount of heat to cook through, but you can easily burn the butter if too aggressive; patience is key.

If the steaks are cooking unevenly from surface to interior, cover the pan with a suitable object. Periodically baste the steak with the melted herb butter until your preferred temperature is reached. Remove from heat, tent with foil, and let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

Tweeze the herb sprigs from the pan and drizzle, then fond over your steaks immediately before serving. You might never go back to steaks on the grill again after trying this.