Did you know that most of the nice steak houses don’t grill their steaks? It’s all about a perfect sear in a hot, heavy-bottomed skillet; using only a few seasonings and herbs to build the perfect flavor. Whether you want to host a dinner for friends, have a quiet evening for two, or are just craving an amazing steak, you can totally cook a steak perfectly every time.
How to Perfectly Cook a Steak
The best steak you've ever had doesn't need to be difficult. Good beef, simple seasonings, and the right temperature will get you exactly where you want to be, and impress anyone lucky enough to have you make it for them.
Ingredients
- 2 steaks tenderloin, new york, ribeye, sirloin, skirt, flat iron
- 1 tbsp salt coarse
- 2 tbsp black pepper coarse
- 2 tbsp butter salted
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary small, fresh
- 1 sprig thyme large, fresh
- 5-6 leaves sage fresh
- 5 cloves garlic smashed
Instructions
Rest steaks at room temperature for at least an hour. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove on medium heat. Turn the broiler on in the oven and put the rack on the bottom (you may or may not need this, but it's good to have it ready).
Coat the steaks evenly with salt and pepper and set aside. To the heated skillet add the butter, olive oil, herbs and garlic and sauté. Remove the sage leaves once they are crispy and reserve.
Place the steaks in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes. Flip and sear another 2-3 minutes, then turn the steaks on their sides and sear around the edges.
Once the outsides are seared, test the temperature of your steak.
125 - Rare
135 - Medium Rare
145- Medium
155 - Medium Well
165 - Well Done
Flip the steaks over every 2 minutes until desired internal temperature is reached. If you have a long ways to go on steak temperature, you can put it under the broiler to cook it so the outside of the steak doesn't burn.
Remove steaks from the pan and let rest for 10 minutes before plating and serving.
Equipment used:
| Cast Iron Skillet | Cutting Board | Santoku Knife |
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15 COMMENTS
Cindy
1 week ago
Love this! We got our son a “steak of the month” club for Christmas, and he is now determined to be the best steak chef in the family. We will definitely watch this video together and try it out.
Leslie Peterson
1 week ago
Curious if you’ve ever done the “bake, sear, sear” method. Bake the steak at a low temp, rest the steak, then sear on both sides for the crust. Serve immediately. Turns out perfectly every time and the steak is cooked to the proper temp all the way through rather than just in the middle.
Chris
1 week ago
AUTHORI’ve done sou vide which is really similar. It does turn out really good!
Patricia
1 week ago
He can do all sorts of construction AND cook a perfect steak too? Lucky Julia!
Mary
1 week ago
Two questions!
1. How do you keep track of all of your own recipes? Do you write them all down or do you mostly do it from memory?
2. What (or who) are some of your favorite cookbooks (or chefs)?
Chris
1 week ago
AUTHORI guess I keep track of them by posting to this blog, haha. As far as cookbooks go, I like the On Cooking culinary reference textbook. It’s like 3 inches thick and covers everything you can think of.
Leslie Myers
1 week ago
Great video! Can’t wait to cook my next steak.
Kotti Rocha
1 week ago
Yummy recipe! Never thought about frying sage! Will have to try that!
Also super random but I went down the CLJ rabbit hole of old kitchen renovation projects you have done and need help! I was specifically trying to find details on DIY-ing a hood vent. Looks like you’ve made at least 3 hood vents, so I was hoping you could make a post about the process in more detail so that my husband and I could make one too?! Or maybe you can point me in the direction of another great post or video about it? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!
Chris
1 week ago
AUTHORWe’ve been terrible about documenting how we’ve made all of these, but we’re doing another one for the cabin this month and we’ll get it posted – stay tuned!
Kotti Rocha
1 week ago
YAY!!! This is great news! Thank you!!
Patricia
1 week ago
Yum!
Ashley
1 week ago
Do they go into the broiler at some point? I saw the instructions to turn it on, but didn’t see when to put it in the oven.
Chris
1 week ago
AUTHORYes! My apologies, I address that in the video but I’ll update the recipe. Once the steak is seared, if you have a long ways to go on steak temperature, you can put it under the broiler to cook it so the outside of the steak doesn’t burn.
Tory
1 week ago
I noticed Chris didn’t mention anything about smokiness that usually comes with searing a steak. I have a small apartment kitchen with no vent, will this cooking method cause a lot of smoke?
Julia
1 week ago
With no vent, having a window open is probably a good idea.