Recipes

How to Perfectly Cook a Steak

February 3, 2019

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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

How to Perfectly Cook a Steak

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

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.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Resting time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef, steak
Servings: 2

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 SkilletCutting BoardSantoku Knife

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What do you think?

  1. Cindy says:

    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.

  2. Leslie Peterson says:

    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.

  3. Patricia says:

    He can do all sorts of construction AND cook a perfect steak too? Lucky Julia!

  4. Mary says:

    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 says:

      I 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.

  5. Leslie Myers says:

    5 stars
    Great video! Can’t wait to cook my next steak.

  6. Kotti Rocha says:

    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!

  7. Ashley says:

    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 says:

      Yes! 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.

  8. Tory says:

    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?

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