one steak in the hot skillet (cook only one side at a time) and cook over a very high heat until the underside starts to develop a heavy, black crust, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook until the underside is crusted like the first, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining steaks. Serve each steak while piping hot. (NOTE: If you don't have a commercial hood vent over your stove, this dish may smoke you out of the kitchen. It's worth it! But you can also cook it outdoors on a gas grill; a charcoal fire doesn't get hot enough to "blacken" the steak properly. If you have a smoke detector in your house, you will be able to determine if it is working correctly. This is NOT a dish to prepare in an apartment building with a central fire alarm system wired into your smoke detector. It causes great excitement! Also, you can be guaranteed you will meet your landlord.) From Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen