The great restaurants do it. The boys on the cooking shows do it…now its our turn.
Note: the right steak is a matter of personal preference ultimately but if you are going to buy a share of a cow, or connect with a small beef-producing farm like us, you should at least consider doing it “right” (I know I sound pretentious). A perfectly cooked steak of high quality should be cooked medium rare (125-130 degrees). If you have to pick between medium and medium rare, I would say lean medium rare. Cooked perfectly means a nice crust of salt and black pepper and cooked evenly all the way through, no graduated shades of brown until you get to a pink center. But I am done pontificating. Here you go. The methods below are great for rib steaks, rib-eyes, strip steaks, T-bone steaks, or porterhouse steaks. You will note there are some subtle differences listed below based on how thick each steak is.
Basic Recipe
Flaky sea salt – about 1/3 tablespoon per pound of meat
Freshly ground black pepper
For All Steaks
Take the steak out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature on a plate, at least 30 minutes. Pat dry of any residual moisture. Season with salt and pepper. The cooking instructions below assume a medium rare goal of each steak.
For Steaks 1 inch Thick
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until an infrared thermometer reads 500 degrees, or if you don’t have an infrared thermometer, a drop of water skims across the pan. When cooking at this high of heat, you do NOT need fat (oil, tallow, or butter) as the high heat will prevent the protein from sticking. Place the steaks in a pan, no more than two at a time, do not have them touch each other, and let sear for 2 minutes, flip and let sear for another 2 minutes. Flip again and continue searing for 1 minute, flip and sear the other side for another minute. If your internal temperature is 110, then pull off the pan and let rest for about 7-10 minutes. If less than 110 then put back into pan, one minute per side until the temperature is 110 or slightly higher. You should never go more than 6 minutes total at this setting if done “right.” After rest, serve.
For Steaks 1 1/2 Inches Thick
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until an infrared thermometer reads 500 degrees, or if you don’t have an infrared thermometer, a drop of water skims across the pan. When cooking at this high of heat, you do NOT need fat (oil, tallow, or butter) as the high heat will prevent the protein from sticking. Place the steaks in a pan, no more than two at a time and do not have them touch and let sear for 2 1/2 – 3 minutes, flip and let sear for another 2 1/2 -3 minutes. Remove and place on a baking sheet to rest for 10 minutes while you sear the rest of the steaks. Place all steaks in a single layer into the oven on the baking sheet for about 8 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and cook for another 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 125 – 130 degrees. Test with internal probe thermometer. Remove and let the steaks rest for 7-10 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
For Steaks 2 Inches Thick
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until an infrared thermometer reads 500 degrees, or if you don’t have an infrared thermometer, a drop of water skims across the pan. When cooking at this high of heat, you do NOT need fat (oil, tallow, or butter) as the high heat will prevent the protein from sticking. Place the steaks in a pan, no more than two at a time and do not have them touch and let sear for 2 1/2 – 3 minutes, flip and let sear for another 2 1/2 -3 minutes. Using tongs, pick up the steaks and hold their edges against the pan, turning them in order to sear all edges (this is due to this size steak particular thickness).
Remove and place on a baking sheet to rest for 15-20 minutes while you sear the rest of the steaks. Place all steaks in a single layer into the oven on your baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and cook for another 8-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 125 – 130 degrees. Because of the thickness of these steaks, the cooking time will vary. Always best to use an internal probe thermometer. Remove and let the steaks rest for 7-10 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
Note 2: The change in oven temperature matters, reducing it to the corresponding temperatures makes a big difference in the final result but don’t take my word for it, ask the butcher.
Note 3: Letting the steak rest after cooking also makes a big difference. First, if you were to cut into the steak right after it comes out of the oven, all of the residual juices will go all over the plate. Not totally a bad thing, but not ideal but second, and more importantly, the resting allows for the steak to increase it’s residual internal temperature 7-10 degrees, thus giving you your desired result of a perfectly cooked steak.
