{meeeeeeeeeaaaat} How To Cook Steaks On Your Stovetop That Taste Better Than in a Fancy Restaurant
Is there anything more satisfying than a perfectly seasoned steak cooked to your exact liking? For a meat-lover like me, there is not. Unfortunately it can be hard to get that steakhouse taste at home, unless you know a couple of culinary secrets. Here is my tried and true method for cooking steaks. Once you start making them this way, you will never go back to your old habits!
1. Buy a good quality steak. I like a steak that has fat in it and around it, because it helps to keep it juicy and tender during cooking. My favorite cut to use is a ribeye, with or without a bone. If you can get a grass-fed steak it will most likely taste better than a traditional grain-fed steak. If you have lots of disposable income or someone in your life who thinks a box of frozen meat makes an ideal gift, I highly recommend placing an order with Oliver Ranch. Not only are they the best steaks I’ve ever had, but they arrive in the mail with dry ice so you can do fun science experiments in your kitchen.
2. About an hour before cooking, take the steaks out of the fridge and put them on a plate or on top of their butcher paper. Sprinkle them heavily with a coarse sea salt or kosher salt on both sides. Two things are important here: the first is to use a lot of salt (as in the photo) and the second is to use a salt that has big grains, not a fine-grained table salt. I learned this tip from Jaden at Steamy Kitchen, who uses it to turn cheaper steaks into something better. I prefer to start with a great steak and then apply this technique, for maximum deliciousness!
3. When you’re ready to cook, heat a pan to very very hot over the highest heat your burner can muster. Some people prefer cast-iron, some prefer a grill pan, I prefer a nonstick skillet. (I don’t believe the pan affects the taste, but there are some who feel adamant that it does.)
4. While the pan is getting super duper hot, rinse the salt off of the steaks and dry them well with paper towels. Season on both sides with a normal amount of salt and pepper.
5. Hold the steak with a pair of tongs above the hot pan. Find the edge of the steak that has a strip of fat on it. Hold the fat-covered edge of the steak in the pan with the tongs until it releases some grease and browns. (I praise the day nearly 10 years ago when I read about this Alain Ducasse trick in the New York Times.) Then, lay the steak on a flat side and cook it for a few minutes, until it browns. Flip it over and cook it on the second side.
6. Don’t cook the steak to the desired temperature–it will continue to cook as it rests, which it must do before serving. For example, if someone likes medium-rare, cook it to rare. How do you know when it’s done? This is the trickiest part and ultimately takes a lot of practice, unless you are one of those folks who puts faith in their meat thermometer. If you’re using a thermometer, the rule of thumb is 140 degrees for rare, 160 for medium, and 170 for well-done. I personally use the finger test, which is well explained here on Simply Recipes.
7. When the meat is almost done (not all the way, since it will keep cooking even after the heat is off), turn off the pan and leave it sitting on the stovetop. If there is not a lot of juice/grease in the pan, add a small knob of butter to the pan and swirl it around. If there is a lot of meat juice in the pan you can skip the butter.
8. Rest the steaks for 5-10 minutes before serving. Eat. Swoon. Savor. Drool.
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Steak is still one of those things that I’m working on getting right. Thanks for all the tips!!!
Thanks for the great tips about cooking the perfect steak! I will definitely have to give some of these techniques a shot. I couldn’t agree more that grass fed steak tastes better than traditional grain fed steak. And the health benefits are significant too. There are fewer calories and fat in grass fed beef. I work with La Cense Beef where all of their cattle are grass fed and given no hormones, antibiotics or pesticides. Plus you have the convenience of having your steaks delivered directly to your home. I would definitely recommend giving their Grass Fed Steaks a shot.
Thanks for the fat trick we will have to try that next time. We also like putting some chopped Thyme or rosemary on with the salt ahead of time.
Thanks everyone…
@Dana you’re welcome and good luck!
@Julia I will check out La Cense.
@Jinenne I don’t like rosemary but I will try thyme next time.
Damn good tricks. The finger trick is nearly up to the Edward-James-Olmos-Stand-and-Deliver-multiply-by-nine finger trick.
@Zach are you into eating meat now? And thanks for reminding me about the Stand and Deliver trick… I had forgotten but it is pretty great. 🙂
Don’t do that to your non-stick! I like to use cast iron. After the flip, I toss in a few aromatics (onion, mushrooms, garlic clove, whole fresh herbs) and toss it into a 350F oven. Residual heat in the cast iron sears the bottom as it finishes. Don’t forget the drippings!. Remove the steaks to rest and deglaze with some red wine or stock. Swirl in a pat of butter and now you got something special.
@Scott – sounds tasty! Thanks for sharing!
When the snow was on top of the grill I opted for this method. Your method of rinsing and re-seasoning and turn/take off heat as the meat continues to cook is spot on. While I saute some fresh mushrooms I just let the steak rest on a platter with a knob of butter on top. I also agree with you on choosing the best quality of beef = rib eye!!
Thank you so much! I just cooked my first filet mignon and it was a success!! There wasn’t much fat to burn off at the beginning so I just added a little more butter and it was DELISH! Thanks again 🙂
@Chelsea awesome!!
Very sad story. Clearly you have not been to Nebraska. Only grass-fed, NO…frozen, NO, NEVER!…frying in a pan, NO NO NO! Of course, this may be the best way to do it outside of a farm in Nebraska, but anyone from there could show you something quite different. And so much better.
@Arvis I’m listening… 🙂
If you must use teflon, possibly to meet your daily quota of chemicals ingested(?) you should never dry heat it as it starts outgassing at only 400* F. Do some google searches for PFOA, its link to increased arthritis and you will see even Dupont warns the teflon will kill your birds.
FYI for those concerned about Teflon non stick high heat issues – If you like non stick without all the chemical issues there are FANTASTIC non stick ceramic pans out there – they’re pricey but VERY worth it.
Thank you for this post. I can never properly cook a steak on the stove, the ends are always well done and the middle is rare. I think with the above pointers I will finally get my medium rare steak.
So say you’re cooking multiple steaks? What are the steps? Do you do the whole turn-off-the-heat thing, back on again to repeat?
@Terra – I would use a bigger pan and start the steak(s) for the people who like it the most well-done first, then work backwards to the people who like it the rarest so theirs are getting started the latest.
When you turn the heat off but leave it on the range do you leave it on the burner that is still hot or move it to a different cool burner?
@Taylor I usually scoot it to the back burner.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart – that is exactly what I needed to know in a clear, concise way. I’m going now to read about the finger test.
thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!! oh, and my family thanks you 🙂
i’m not good at cooking steaks on the stove, i’m going to try it this week!!!
oh, did i say thank you? 🙂
Tried this tonight….DELICIOUS!!! Even my fiance’ who does not particularly like beef went back for seconds! Let me tell you, in the 5 years we have been together that has NEVER happened! Thank you! Steak is back on the menu 🙂
Thanks and you are sooo right the grass-fed
beef and chickens are so tasty. I will do a rib
steak tonight as you suggests can’t wait.
Great tip. Just a comment on the non-stick pan. They are not made for hi-temp cooking only for stir fry, saute, etc… Steel or Cast-iron pans would work best.
I was so excited to try this method tonight and then remembered I put the steaks back at the grocery and picked up a beef roast instead. But one question. Do you leave the meat sit out for a hour or after you heavily salt the stakes do you sit them back in the fridge until cooking time?
@amy and @joann – You leave them out on the counter. Don’t refrigerate them. They cook better when not ice cold. Good luck!!
This may be a dumb question, but here goes: Do you let the steak sit (with the salt on it) at room temp for an hour, or do you return it to the fridge for the hour?
well my smoke alarm went off twice! but they tasted amazing!
@nicole haha! thank you for this comment, it made my day!
This is absolutely the best way to cook a steal. I do this with every steak including filet mignon.
while the ribeyes are soaking up the coarse salt on the counter, make sure that your dog(s) are not in the house … to say that they are trained and won’t self-serve themselves, think again sometimes the temptation and gratification of getting one of them steaks off the counter is worth the aftermath – LOL.
@Sandy – hilarious! I don’t have dogs so this is not a problem for me – but you gave me a laugh with that comment. 🙂
All this did was burn the outside of my steaks and not cook them at all in the center.
Best steak I have ever cooked. The tip about holding the fat down in the pan to render out some flavour was awsome. Thanks!
@Ellie K awesome!!
You didn’t tell them about the massive amount of smoke this creates.
@Brian good point. It creates a lot of smoke! Open the window and turn on the fan. And/or take the batteries out of the smoke detector. 🙂
Best steaks I ever made! Thank you! Saving my grill for other thing!
@Sondra great to hear! Thanks for sharing.
I tried this and the steaks were soooooo salty! Yes I used coarse salt and a lot of it and yes I rinsed and dried before cooking!
@Kendra – I’m not sure why that happened. I tend to like things salty so I may not be the best judge for salt sensitivity.
the only problem is the tremendous amount of smoke in yor house, I set off my fire alarm, and had the fire truck arrive at my house
@maryellen Sorry to hear that… I hope the firefighters were hot at least?? :O
Thanks for the tips. Greatly appreciated. I am going to try this tonight . Have to walk to the store first to get the right kind of salt. But i’m sure it will be worth the walk.
does this have the same result on a grill?
@tam I don’t think the whole technique would work on a grill – because the concept is to sear the fat and then cook the meat in the fat. But the salting technique definitely works if you’re grilling the steaks, and improves the taste and texture!
Oh my goodness. This was amazing!!
I grew up with a close-to-professional-chef of a mother who makes to die for steak on the grill so I pretty much swore that steak could not be made on a stove correct. Lord was I wrong. I tried this tonight with a small piece, barely any fat on it, and it was delicious. Cooked through perfectly (trick about letting it sit with the burner off is key) and made a delicious dinner.
Thank you for posting!
@Rachel thank you so much for the comment – made my day!
I would love to try this, but I don’t have the right type of frying pan (all non-stick), but I do have a cast iron “grill pan”……made for stovetop grilling. Would that ruin the effect of cooking it directly in the fat?
@Barbara – I think a grill pan could work OK but a smooth-bottomed pan would be better. I have never tried it so I can’t offer empirical evidence on it! Some people think cast iron is preferable to non-stick in any case so no problem there.
ok, quick question. if i am cooking two steaks, do i need to do the fat sear on the edge of both steaks? or just the first one? i can’t tell if this process is supposed to do something to the steak itself, or if you’re just prepping the pan with this step. i’m a newbie to cooking, so sorry if this is a dumb question. thanks!
@jamie- totally not a dumb question. Yes you should do it for both. It is both to prepare the pan and sear the steak!
The steak was very tender, however it was extremely salty. Did I not rinse it enough?
@Irene either you did not rinse it enough or maybe you didn’t use a coarse enough salt?
This was a great recipe, a little,too salty. I would cut back,on the salt and add some garlic…very much enjoyed….
@Carol thanks for commenting!
Great tips! As a professional chef (culinary school trained) I’d like to offer a couple corrections. One of the many uses of salt is to draw out the moisture of food items. Therefore you should NEVER salt meat (including hamburgers) until right before you cook them. You want your meat to retain all its juices. Second, the pan makes a significant difference in searing meat, which adds more intense flavor. You’ll get the best sear from cast iron, stainless steel is second, and non-stick will give you the least sear. If you prefer your steak cooked to a higher temperature, sear them (as perfectly described in the blog post) then put the whole pan, steak and all, into a hot oven (around 400 degrees) until it reaches the desired temperature. This will ensure that the inside is cooked how you like it without overcooking the outside. The finger method you described is best because every time you stick a thermometer in a steak, those delicious juices will run out. Until you’re comfortable with it, use a combo of the finger method and a thermometer (poke your steak at each temperature so you can get familiar with how different it feels). I hope this is helpful! Happy cooking!
@Stephanie – Thanks for the tips (FWIW I am also professionally trained and experienced.) I like my meat rare so have never had to resort to the oven method but if people like their meat medium or more, that is a good option.I believe that the not salting thing is a myth. Here is further reading in case anyone is interested! http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the-food-lab-more-tips-for-perfect-steaks.html And if the stove is hot enough- the type of pan matters much less.
How long do you let it rest in the pan after you turn it off? I’ve always let my steaks “rest” on a plate… which could be why they are cold by the time we cut into them 🙂
@Margo about 5-10 minutes.
Why the first salting? Would think that would dry it out.
@Anna this is a pretty good explanation – http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the-food-lab-more-tips-for-perfect-steaks.html
Stephanie, I use a cast iron skillet most of the time. It cooks better. I found there is a difference between fat and gristle. I do cut all the gristle away before I sear the meat. I will sometimes cut excess fat from the outside of steak and it has never lost it’s flavor. Before I put steak in the oven to cook, I do put garlic butter on both sides of the steak. It just tastes better to me. If you give it a try, you may like it as much as I do. Chow Stephanie.
@Sandy Buller – We were remodeling our kitchen and had to cook everything on the grill. I brought in the perfectly cooked steaks and set them on the counter. I opened the fridge, blocking my view of the counter for a moment, closed the door and only one steak remained. My 120 pound Shepard/Chow dog Bear was standing there with one of the rib eyes in his mouth. So, I hollered downstairs to my husband and told him “Bear ate your steak!” I loved that dog and miss him everyday. No, I didn’t kill him or get rid of him, he had a stroke and we had to put him down. So sad, but so many great memories of him stealing food. Funny.
I read the tutorial on how to finger test the meat and will try it the next time we have steaks. It’s very easy to understand. One comment on my post above: On the grill I do the similar thing to cooking in a pan by getting the grill very hot. Since I like mine medium rare, I do not grill them very long. In the winter I cook them in a pan but had not done the salt thing before cooking. But I will definitely try it. Thanks for all the tips.
Step No. 6 is way out of wack with the temperatures quoted. If you served me a 140 degree steak I would call it medium well and send it back. For a rare steak take it off the grill at 120 degrees and let it rest. For medium rare try removing themeat from the grill at 125 degrees. After that who cares it is over done and hard to eat when you reach anything over about 135 degrees.
I like the salt idea. Heavily salting the meat first is like brining it. The salt removes moisture from the surface for a crispier surface when frying in a pan. I would not do this on a hot grill. The steak will become desicated and tough.
As for using a nonstick pan…pig nono at high heat. Never heat a nonstick pan above medium heat. It ruins the pan and allows chemicals to escape the nonstick surface into the food. Not healthy.
If you preheat a stainless or cast iron skillet until it is smoking hot you can place the steak in the pan and do not move it until you are ready to turn it. It will release its self. If you put the steak in a cold pan it will stick. And by all means use a good meat thermometer! Cooks that use touch are showing off and will ofter blow it.
Hi ~
Loved the tutorial on the steak. All the comments were great and most of the helped. I am not a trained chef, I just play one at home! I tried the steak as per your recipe and it worked great. I even deglazed the pan with some butter and then wine and then add a few sautéed onions. After my steak rested. I added it back to the pan and spooned the “gravy” over it. I was so impressed and will cook my steaks like this from now on. It had the taste of a great steak cooked in a restaurant – just without all the marked up prices! I wasn’t to sure about the salt but I tried it and it worked. Thanks so much for the great recipe.
@Pepsiw – glad it all worked out – your version sounds delicious!
My smoke alarm was poised to go off any second…are you supposed to continue entire cooking with high temp? How does it not keep from scorching the outside while truly raw inside??
@Myra – It is hard to say since all stoves, thicknesses of steak, etc. are different. I do keep it on high heat and can get them to medium rare. If you like it more well done you may have to turn the heat down and finish it in a hot oven or put the lid on.
If instead of regular butter when it is almost done add garlic butter it maked it very flavorable!
i have a very special heavy pan that’s got teflon cover and it works great for stove top steaks. You gotta do them right or they get overdone fast. What I do is heat the pan, use a bit of olive oil, a pat of irish butter and a light sprinkle of garlic powder. I salt the steaks like you do and put them in the butter/oil mixture – with the heat not too high cause i don’t want the butter to burn. I like my meat med rare so your meat is done 5 min on each side and then a bit of a rest.
Just tried this tonight- was so delicious!! I didn’t have any sea salt and my local market was out so I used table salt and it ended up working just fine- I sprinkled and let rest about an hour and then rinsed. The only difference is I peppered them after instead I using salt and pepper- I was worried it would be too salty. The fat trick worked beautifully and after the steaks had rested in butter and juices I spooned some over the meat on the plate. My husband, who swears by the grill and is a seafood guy over beef, drooled over this dish and has asked for it for tomorrow again!
@Rachel – awesome, thank you for sharing!
Awesome!!!!!!!! Best steak I’ve ever cooked, even in a grill!!! Thank you, thank you!
@Corky w00t! Glad to hear it and thanks for commenting!
I tried this about 3 weeks ago. It was SO GREAT We had steak AGAIN a couple of days later. Get this.. I had some Ribeye in my freezer that had been there for 6 MONTHS! I was REALLY afraid it might not taste too good due to freezer burn. It was WONDERFUL! I’m a FIRM believer in my Cast Iron Skillets and I have one that is square with the raised grate lines so it gives the steak the appearance that it was cooked on the grill.
Beware of the SMOKE! Open windows BEFORE you throw on the STEAK But it is WELL WORTH IT….. I usually cover the pan with a lid and it helps a little. Thank you so much for this awesome cooking recipe!
@Sherry so glad you like it! Thanks for sharing.
I just tried this. My rib-eye cooked to a beautiful, perfect rare, the only problem was that it’s so salty it is nearly inedible. I used Penzey’s extra coarse Pacific sea salt and I thought I rinsed it pretty well. Maybe I shouldn’t have added more salt after I rinsed, but I wanted to follow the directions exactly the first time. It’s definitely worth trying again, I just need to tweak the salting.
I feel obligated to mention that if you choose to buy from companies like The Oliver Ranch or Omaha, you will be paying the ridiculous price of 30-70 dollars a pound for your meats. And sometimes it is not even graded. Get Choice filet for $12/lb or prime for $17/lb from Costco, get a better steak at a fraction of the cost. Even less for ribeye (PRIME!)Don’t be taken. Learn how to purchase meats. These companies offer less at a much higher price.
The best way to do this is with a cast iron skillet. Don’t buy a “seasoned” one at the store, get one at an antiques market, on ebay, or at a garage sale. A seasoned cast iron is the original non-stick, interjects a little iron into the food, and can go from the stove to the oven without releasing bad stuff from non-stick. Plus, when you scrape it, you don’t scrape up non-stick stuff. Heat your oven to 400 degrees, place you cast iron on the stove top, and turn the heat to high (and turn on your fan), season your steak with salt and pepper heavily. When the pan is piping hot (and a bead of water dances around) place your steaks in and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Check for a nice crust, flip, and place in the oven for about another 5 minutes. Trust me, this is how restaurants who do not grill them do it. The searing in the hot pan creats a really tasty crust, and the steaks are perfect. Try it before you say otherwise, you will not be disappointed.
I had never cooked a steak in a skillet before tonight. I used a cast iron skillet, and followed your directions to he T. My steaks came out a perfect medium rare! Thank you so much for the helpful hints:)
One thing the article omitted is that you absolutely have to let the steak warm up to room temperature before cooking it. Otherwise the high heat will cause the muscle to seize creating something that is far from “good eats”.
While I will always swear by the grill for steaks, some of the best steaks I’ve had were fried in butter on a griddle top. It was in Iraq, and yes, there’s a story behind it. 🙂
Oh yea, what Dave said. Be sure to check your local markets, especially the little ones that have their own meats. You’ll get fine beef at a better price than the “to your door” companies.
I stopped grilling steaks when I started using this method a few years ago. My solution to the smoke alarm problem was to put a piece of aluminum foil over it until I was finished. Haven’t had an alarm go off since and it is easy to remove when done.
I do this on a grill, skillet and all to avoid smoke in the house. I just bring the skillet in and place it a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes and a great steak done.
Great tips! Best quality steak is extremely important. In my area only Costco carries prime grade steak and you can truly taste and see the difference in the fat marbling. Tried the trendy grass fed meat. It simply doesn’t compare to grain fed and the supposed health benefits just don’t make up for the lack of flavor and tenderness. Done side by side comparison with prime and never had anyone not go for prime. Gotta give em credit for a great marketing program though.
Ya know, it’s not a good idea, as a general thing, to promote use of non-stick cookware at high temperatures. Some may handle it, most won’t.
My steaks get raves and drools from all that try them. I like to use a NY strip or a big juicy restaurant cut filet from my butcher. I leave the steaks out in room temperature until they are barely cool to the touch (20-30) minutes. I salt and pepper one side liberally. I melt a couple of pats of butter in the skillet and drop the salty side of the steak into the butter when it is very hot. While the steak sears in the pan I salt and pepper the other side and fliup. I do both flat sides and sear the fat around the steak. When the steak is nicely browned on all sides I stick it on a broiler pan and bake it at 420 degrees. Sevenminutes on one side, five minutes on the other. Back on the fry pan I add a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to the melted butter and fat and then add my sliced mushrooms and cook at a low to medium heat. When the steaks come out, I plate them with the mushrooms smothering the steak. It tastes Nice.
I tried your recipe last night and it was fantastic. We live on a grass fed organically raised beef farm and I’m always looking for ways to cook beef!
I want to say thank you so much for this method! The second my fiancé bit into his steak last night he almost cried like a baby at the deliciousness! He keeps saying “if I buy steaks, can we have them once a week cooked just like that?!” You, my friend, are a genius!!!
@Jessica – love it! Thanks for sharing!
Tried this method. Huge amount of smoke-is that natural? Unfortunately, seared it a bit too much. Not sure how to balance the searing w cooking. The smoke was so bad I probably cooked it less time then I should have. Thoughts? That being said, I could see how this method would be effective with a better chef 🙂
@Matt – yes, lots of smoke. I have a very good hood on my oven so I can imagine other setups being very smoky. Open a door? A window? 😉
I got two beautiful grass-fed ribeyes and tried this using a non-stick pan. Great color, perfect temperature. They tasted like salty, griddle- fried fast food burgers. Someone owes me a steak.
@sb I’m sorry to hear that! I made some just last night and worked great.
Thanks for the great tips! I’ve been doing my best at the grill, and getting good results, but definitely room for improvement there. Can’t wait to try this! Plus, it’ll be incentive to try the cast iron seasoning technique I read about in a post over a year ago. I had asked everyone I knew what was the best way to season a cast iron pan, and EVERYONE had a different answer, so I did some digging and found this post on the science behind cast iron seasoning: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-fora-seasoning-cast-iron/
It’s a very good read, and I’ll try and report on the results soon!
CORRECTED LINK HERE!!
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
Well – I didn’t do so well. I had filets, which were very lean, wrapped in bacon from Omaha. I tried the iron skillet, but guess I left them too long and they burned! I grabbed them as soon as I realized it and put them in the oven to finish cooking inside. Then they were overcooked. I have since read a few more comments and next time will only leave them in the skillet to sear then straight to the oven. My husband was very gracious and said his was good, but I know a good filet (or steak) when I see one and trust me, these weren’t good! I will try again with a ribeye and expect success! Thank you for the tips.
Been doing this for years but a little differently…use a good quality ribeye about an inch thick (12 ozs or more)…square cast iron skillet heated hot over medium setting (2 steaks fit great)…season with salt, pepper, garlic power and blackening seasoning…use light coat of olive oil for skillet and cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side…let rest for a few minutes and you have great medium rare steaks.
LIFESAVER! This is fantastic thank you so much 🙂 I have never been good at steak. I guess I overcook!
Gonna try this weekend – thanks!
Love this thread. Question: When you rinse off the coarse salt and then resalt, is the new salt table grind or more coarse salt? Another Question: When you turn off the heat but leave the pan on the heat, are you leaving the meat in the pan as it cools?
@Chris table grind salt for the seasoning. And yes you leave the meat in the pan.
Not a fan. The amount of smoke this produced was completely overwhelming, the steaks charred on the outside and barely cooked on the inside. Had to finish them in the oven to get the inside to a medium rare. I have mastered steaks on the grill and in the broiler, not so much on the stove top…sorry, I wanted to love this 🙁
This is close to what we do but we never use teflon for high temps, it’s not safe. We do use our all-clad. Many times we have a super thick steak so we finish it off in the oven. It’s a fantastic steak.
Please, if you have pets, especially birds/parrots in your home, be careful heating up the non stick skillet on high. When teflon reaches a certain temp, it releases a deadly gas and can kill your pets.
Sooooo good! Thank you!
My family’s family has a ranch that only has grass fed Angus beef. DELICIOUS …They have a website ……Gibson Farm…They deliver anywhere. Please feel free to give it a try.
Can’t wait to get us some ribeyes from the farm and cook on top of the stove. Ummumm. The farm is the only accredited organic farm in our part of the country….
This is what I’m talking about. Try it.
Salt initially draws out moisture then , through osmosis, draws it back into the protein along with any flavorings you add
I am going to cook this tomorrow night.
I have to comment here….first, you should NOT use a non stick pan to sear meat. Not only is it unhealthy but you will NEVER and I repeat NEVER get the sear you will with a straight up castiron skillet or an All Clad. In our restaurant we use All Clad for searing all meats at high temps. Do not use a non stick skillet at high heat. I will agree that you should choose the best cut of meat possible, make sure its thick, and pre salt. I prefer to do it a day ahead of time. With all of my meat, including chickens when I’m roasting them. Pre salt your steak a day ahead and leave it unwrapped on a plate in the refrigerator. The day of, take your steak out 1 hour prior to serving time to allow it to come to room temp. Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat your pan until its very hot (not non stick!!!). Add a touch of fat…canola oil (just a touch). Add your steak and leave it for 7 minutes. Flip your steak and immediately add it to your pre heated oven in the pan you just seared it in. Depending on how you like your steak it should be done in another 7 minutes. This is how the pros do it. I know because I’ve been cooking professionally for 10 years. It’s very simple and you will get a great restaurant quality steak BUT please do not use non stick!
@Casey agree on the salting. I get that you are adamantly against nonstick and that is your prerogative. I wish I could invite all of you anti-nonstick people over to prove you wrong. I must admit, telling people to sully their steak with CANOLA OIL is something I am adamantly against… 😉
BTW for Stephanie the “chef” above….you are wrong about pre salting meat. Old school chefs are of the belief that pre salting draws out the moisture and leaves a dry piece of meat. Have you ever been to the Zuni Cafe and tasted Judy Rodgers amazing and famous roasted chicken? She pre salts her chickens 48 hours prior to roasting. They are delicious, juicy, and succulent. The key is to pre salt at least 24 hours ahead and use a coarse kosher or sea salt. Never use iodized table salt. Try it. Trust me!
Quick question…..I can’t wait to try this, but I always notice that when I cook my steaks inside that it smells my kitchen (and other rooms) up for a couple of days. What can I do to prevent that cause it makes me leery about cooking inside again.
@Jeri yes this happens to me too… I guess open the windows? 😉
If you think grass fed is better than a prime ribeye fed corn in a feedlot in Nebraska than you have not had one have you?? You have nooo idea what you are missing!!!
This method of cooking steak works brilliantly! It was hard to convince my SO that we could indeed eat a great tasting steak without it having to be grilled outside. Now he’s a believer. 😉
@Jeri — put a couple teaspoons of pure vanilla ( or almond, peppermint, etc) extract into an oven-safe bowl and pop it into a 300F oven for no more than an hour (your house will start to smell amazing at about the 20-minute mark!) ~ an old tried & true trick used by real estate agents. Another great trick is to surround a vanilla scented votive candle with whole coffee beans; the heat from the lit candle warms the beans and the warm, toasty aromas of coffee & vanilla take away the other odors.
PLEASE DO NOT USE COATED PANS !! On high heat they emit a toxin into the air. I saw this on the news, where they did a lengthy report on the subject. Even Dupont the making of most coatings agreed to NOT ever heat coated cookwear on high heat.
A couple of added secrets in addition to this:
When you add a little olive oil to the pan before it gets hot, I like to add some kosher salt and pepper to the oil in addition to a few cloves of smashed garlic and some sprigs of Rosemary…it gives off some nice aromatics and adds to the flavor of the meat.
Once the pan is hot and the steak is properly seasoned (on both sides), depending on the thickness, cook on one side for about 4 or 5 minutes or until you can see the meat changing color up the sides. The steak should be beautifully cooked on one side before flipping and should only be flipped once.
Once flipped, you should add the butter (which will melt quickly) and spoon the melted butter over the steaks. Let it cook for about 2 or 3 minutes on that side. You may want to spoon a little butter over them more than once while cooking.
After this step, I would throw it under the broiler in my oven for about a minute or two…it just finishes it off perfectly.
Under no circumstances would I EVER stick a meat thermometer into a steak. When you puncture the steak you are allowing the heat and juices to escape which defeates the purpose of everything you have done above. You need to learn how to cook a steak and tell its “done-ness” by look and touch. Rare will be very soft, medium will spring back once it is touched, and leather will just be tough and hard.
Once you get this down, you will never cook a steak another way.
Whoa! Tried this tonight. SO GOOD! Delicious!
FYI – For those of you who have birds as pets:
Heating a Teflon pan to very hot temperatures can release a toxic chemical and kill your bird(s).
OK I followed your directions exactly except the only pan I own is stainless steel. Based on comments that seemed like a good choice. As soon as I touched the tiny bit of fat on the steak to the pan a fire burst into flames and filled my whole house with smoke in literally 30 seconds. I threw a lid on the pan but couldn’t see the meat for all the smoke. This continued until I turned the steak over. Quickly browned. Let it rest for 5 or10 minutes. I will give you credit for a very juicy tender steak but sadly the whole thing just tasted burntthough it didn’t look like it. This method wont be on my list of methods.
Teflon denatures and decomposes above 623 K (350 °C; 662 °F). These degradation by-products can be lethal to birds, and can cause flu-like symptoms in humans. The elements on a stove can get well a live these temperatures so be very careful using Teflon pans, and avoid using Teflon for high heat cooking.
As well the reason whom every wrote this article has issues using their thermometer is they are way off on their temps pulling a steak off the grill at 140f will get you a nice med well 160 will get you a welldone and 170 will get you shoe leather.
-100 will rest up to rare,
-110 will rest up to med rare,
-120 will rest up to medium,
– 140 med well,
-160 and above well done
@cook in my experience your temps are WAY too low! And yes, I like my steaks “black and blue.” 😉
Very salty!!!! I rinsed for sure. I won’t waste a good steak again with this method!
I made steak for dinner tonight, it was the best I’ve ever made!! Thanks for the tips!!
Made this tonight and WOW!…. Hubby loved it. I used non stick pan which was awesome and the only thing I did different was use my penzeys ‘Chicago steak seasoning’ instead of salt n pepper right before cooking. No more over priced steaks at restaurants for this family. Even my 5 year old loved it and asked for seconds (which never happens with steak). Thank you so much for tips!
@Amanda thanks so much for commenting! Made my day! 😉
One thing that doesn’t make sense to me though.. if you put a lot of salt on it, you draw out the moisture. Then you rinse it off? Are you making it dry? I know you said to put a regular amt. of salt on it afterward though. I’m confused as to why it’s good to pull so much moisture out of the steak and then wash it down the drain??
Tanya, the salt draws moisture out of the cells. It takes a lot more than a rinse and dry to rehydrate those cells back where they were.
Everybody. I do this same thing, except I use SMOKED SEA SALT in my personal BBQ rub. My salts of choice are one called Salish (alder smoked) and the even smokier Bonfire (oak, alder and I think everything else they have on hand). This makes our steaks taste like BBQ. I live a stone throw from the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and find the Salish goes great on fish!
Somehow, the moister red meat is during cooking process, the rubberier it is. Salty marinade does the same thing by drawing out water in cells through osmosis. Enzymes found in tenderizer break down proteins. Many find dry cooking and reducing the water content of the meat cells brings out the juicy in the meat!
Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it. One small typo- when talking about the type of steaks you said that not only are they the best steaks you’ve ever HAD*. Sorry to be “that person”.
@JC thanks! Fixed. 🙂
great recipe. i love it. thanks
Since reading your article, I’ve used this method with great results. I used to avoid cooking meat, but now with this I’m the go to girl for steaks! Thanks so much!!!!!
@Ruby thanks so much! Your comment made my day.
my fiance and i have been using this method since finding it on Pinterest. we LOVE it. yes, it does create a lot of smoke, last time we tried getting the pan super hot and then turning it down just a little after the steaks hit the pan, still tasted great. the smoke alarms go off almost every time, but it is WORTH IT. i am going to pick up a cheapo fan from Target to fend off the smoke near my alarms. would be interested to see if i can get a pan hot enough on the grill to do this outside?
@kristin thanks for your comment – so happy to hear that!
I am confused. I read the article by Alian Ducasse, as suggested, and he says, in part, “I do not use very heat,” So do I or don’t I use the hottest pan I can get?
@Greg My method is based on his, but not exactly the same. Thanks!
At home my mother would make steak everyday for lunch and I do it almost everyday too.
All you say is true but I would suggest turning it over when you see some juice coming on top. You turn it and cook it for just a few seconds and don’t let in the pan. Eat it immediately.
Thanks for sharing great tips! I love it. I also think that all the comments from “chefs” should make their own blog…geesh why read yours if they’re already experts…
@housewife Thank you! For all of that. 🙂
Please help, how can I avoid the amount of smoke and the residual smell in my house whenever I cook steak or a firm fish in a skillet even though I use olive oil or other oil etc.
@joe open your windows? 🙂 No, I hear what you’re saying. One thing I would recommend is checking that the fan in your hood is clean. It can get gunked up and then it’s not effective at pulling the odors out. But it happens to the best of us!
Just FYI, if one has pet birds in the house and heats a nonstick skillet past a certain temperature, it releases a gas that humans will not notice but will kill the birds. I just wanted to pass that along so bird owners can do some research to verify this and protect their pets.
Love all these ideas! Will definitely have to try now that it is getting kind of chilly to grill outside. Starting with a high quality grass fed steak is absolutely essential, though. If you start with a low quality steak you aren’t going to improve it no matter how well you cook it! Give http://www.toplinefoods.com a try, our grass fed organic beef is superior!
Great! Thanks so much! I followed your tips to cook a sirloin for my Man and he said it taste like a restaurant steak, nothing was left but the bone! I seared it on the stove after I prepped it as you said to do and he will only eat a ‘Very Well Done’ steak so after I seared it with just the salt and pepper and browning the fat edges I threw it In the oven to cook the inside at 350 for 10 minutes and Viola! Thanks again
@Angie so awesome! Thanks for sharing – glad you liked it. 🙂
I saved this for the winter when I really didn’t want to drag out the grill in sub zero temps. I tried it tonight, followed these directions but used a lesser cut of meat, rib steak (we buy a 1/2 beef from my brother in law) and it was wonderful. Thanks for the tips. We smothered it in sautéed mushrooms, an added bonus.
@Lynn awesome, thanks for letting me know!
I am forever over cooking steak on the bbq or in the oven, they are chewy, and flavorless, and just not good… so a few years ago I said I will never cook a steak again. On pinterest yesterday I came across this. I thought, well, that looks really easy….. It can’t be true. So, at the grocery store this morning they had steak on sale. a 4 pack of strip loin grilling steak for $12. (I know nothing about cuts so I get what’s on sale!) Followed your directions to a T and BAM! I can make steak again!!! I like well done, did mine perfect, and my husband likes medium rare, Done! THANK YOU for these instructions! My dog was salvating as ALL the smoke was passing her face heading out the door that I had to keep open! (and it is -41 today) But worth getting cold for! Thanks again and happy New Year from Ontario Canada!
@christina love it!! thank you so much for sharing!!
So I grew up in a family where my dad could cook THE BEST steaks, so when we went out to a steakhouse, most of the time we left disappointed. I’m a college kid and I didn’t have a grill, so found this method! Let me just say, WOW! All of my friends love my steaks! I finally tried them out on my dad (the king of all things meat) and he’s been BEGGING me to show him my ways! haha Instead of just salt and pepper I use Garlic powder, Onion powder, and a very small amount of Greek Seasoning, these steaks are naturally a little salty, so you have to be very careful what spices you put on them or they can be a bit overwhelmingly salty. I love it! Thank you!!
@Sean thanks so much for sharing! Love it!
Awesome tips!!! Cooked my first steak on something other than a grill and it turned out AMAZING!!! Will definitely keep this trend up .. well done
@Brian awesome to hear! Thank you for sharing!!
I just cooked the best NY strip steak that I ever cooked. My husband even said his late father would have proud of me! That’s a very good complement. I followed your instructions, even down to the finger test. I have always liked the flavor of restrurant steaks. I think it is the fat trick. Thanks for sharing your tips.
@Rachel thanks so much for sharing – love it!!
I just made this afternoon, it’s my first time cooking Steak. I ended up cooking to Medium-Medium Rare on accident, instead of Medium Rare, but it was very good! I wanted to learn how to cook it for my SO. Thanks for the great tips and guide, it helped so much!
@Alahna thanks so much for commenting! Glad to hear it! 🙂
Seems to me your therm temps are high for beef. Rare is closer to 110-120.
The thing wrong with this is that you shouldn’t use a non-stick skillet, as they aren’t suppose to be heated much above medium. It will make the non-stick coating peel off, and you DON’T want that in your food. Be careful how hot you heat your other skillet also. I wouldn’t do “high”.
Can you use this with every type of steak cut?
@courtney it works better with a thicker cut of steak that has some fat/marbling. Good luck!
Perfect! And so easy! Thank you!
@Nikki 🙂
I hope I did it right! I think my steaks burnt on the outside and are raw as all get out on the inside.. my fiance likes his medium, I like mine well… I put them back on the stove as it cools maybe they will cook a little more. If not, its upset tummies tonight! 🙁 lol..
I think the reason I keep ruining steaks is that I leave them on heat until they’re at the temperature I want them to be. I had no idea that they kept cooking after you took them off! I go to restaurants because I don’t have to worry about all the technical details and still have a perfect steak.
You should never NEVER heat non-stick cookware to high temperatures without oil in the pan. Doing so breaks down the non-stick surface and releases carcinogenic fumes. After the the coating is broken down its elements will leach into your foods.
A good basic starting point for sauteed steak but I have a few comments. 1) NO grass-fed beef, use only corn-fed dry-aged prime beef — you’ll pay for it but steaks are a splurge item. Grass-fed to too lean and has a metallic taste — you won’t find a world-class steakhouse that serves grass-fed. 2) I’ve never tried Oliver Ranch meat, but I have ordered many times from Lobels — great prime dry-aged and delivered unfrozen. Again, like everything, you get what you pay for.
I always marinate my steak with soy sauce. I fork both sides then put soy sauce on for a couple minutes before grilling. You won’t believe the flavor. Give this a try!
Karen,
Wow! I followed your “Off the Meat Hook” cooking instructions to the T, and cooked the most “Off the Hook” steak ever!! Thank you for sharing these tips for cooking the best steak ever! I am 100% sold on this cooking technique! 100%!!
@ Reid Smith That corn-fed beef will be high in omega 6’s and you’ll be eating your way to cancer.
Steak on the grill pangrill pan on the stovetop and all the sweet meat juices come flowing out like lava from a volcano. Thanks for the tip.