Cooking a steak is more a technique than a recipe, and learning to do it correctly is well worth your time. If you’re anything like me, you’ll learn by trial and error. Which can be hard when you are dealing with an expensive ingredient like steak.
The Best Steak for Beginners
Ribeye steaks are great for learning how to cook because they have a lot of intra-muscular fat. In culinary terms this is called “marbling”. A well-marbled steak has thin streaks of fat distributed throughout the meat. This makes the meat tender, flavorful, and juicy. Which means thateven if you over-cook it a little, this cut will still be tasty.
Tips for cooking a perfect steak:
- Use a heavy, hot pan: A strong sear seals in the meat’s juices.
- Season with salt before you cook: Giving the meat time to absorb the salt leads to a flavorful steak.
- When in doubt, take it out: You can put an undercooked staek back on the heat, but you can’t un-cook one that is over-done.
Recipe: Skillet Steak for Dad (or Anybody)
Course: Main, DinnerDifficulty: Easy1
serving10
minutes6
minutes5
minutes21
minutesCooking the perfect steak is more a technique than a recipe. Ribeye steaks are forgiving steaks to cook while you are learning.
Ingredients (adapted from David Liebovitz)
1 8-ounce boneless ribeye steak, 1 inch thick
Coarse Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Chili Powder (or other preferred seasoning; a little garlic powder or dry onion soup mix is also super tasty)
Directions
- Bring the steak up to room temperature. If you have stored it in the refrigerator, leave it out for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt, pepper, and a pinch of chili powder. Let steak rest with seasoning for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Cover the bottom of a heavy-bottomed skillet, ideally cast-iron, with a thin layer of olive oil. Heat over medium heat until smoking.
- While the pan heats, pat the steak dry with paper towels.
- When the pan is hot, place the steak in the center of the pan and DO NOT MOVE IT AT ALL until it forms a solid seared crust on that side, at least 3 minutes.
- Flip the steak, and do the same on the other side. Do not move the steak for at least 3 minutes, or until a nice crust forms on the exterior and a meat thermometer registers 1230 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the steak from the plan. Place on a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before to cutting, to allow the juices to re-absorb into the meat.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Note: 130 degrees Fahrenheit will result in a medium-rare steak. If you prefer your steak at a different doneness, use these temperatures:
- Rare: 120 – 125 degrees, Medium Rare: 130 – 135 degrees, Medium: 135- 140 degrees, Medium Well: 140-145 degrees, Well done: 150 – 155 degrees
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