Bram Stoker's Dracula

Jonathan Harker, a lawyer, is sent from London to Transylvania to finish some real estate business with the strange Count Dracula. He has left his fiancé, Mina Murray, in the care of her wealthy friend Lucy Westenra. While at the castle Mr. Harker sees many bizarre things, is seduced by three bloodthirsty women and forced by Dracula to write letters to his family and Mina saying he will be staying an extra month. Meanwhile, Lucy has come down with an abnormal case of anemia and sleepwalking. Dr. Van Helsing, a specialist, is called into help and immediately recognizes that she is “undead”. A hunting party is formed to destroy Dracula before he attacks again.

A consistent theme in any vampire movie is the creature’s thirst for blood. Lucy is fed on by Dracula, the insane Renfield craves blood while stuck in his cell and Mr. Harker had his blood sucked, multiple times, by the seductive female vampires in the castle. This recurring theme is also played into one of the few food scenes in the movie. When Mr. Harker and his new bride return to London, they meet Professor Van Helsing for dinner. During a very blunt discussion regarding death and blood Van Helsing urges the young couple to “Eat. Feast” on the slabs of rare roast beef in front of them.

Many people eat their steaks rare but people are often warned that this could be dangerous. The health risks stem from the presence of bacteria such as listeria and salmonella which is found in meat. These microorganisms are often found on the surface of steaks and can be killed by cooking the meat at a proper temperature. According to most the minimum temperature considered safe is 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

I don't particularly like roast beef so I chose a simple Pan Seared Steak recipe. Enjoy.

Pan Seared Steak

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Boneless rib eye steak (1 1/2 to 2 lbs, room temperature)
1 Teaspoon coarse salt
1 Teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in ovenproof pan until it begins to smoke. Pat steak dry with paper towels. Season each side of the steak with salt and pepper. Cook steak in pan over medium-high heat until a crust has formed, about 6 minutes per side. Place pan in over and roast for about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let steak rest for about 5 minutes before carving.