To be honest, when I first decided I was going to make 99.9% of my meals at home, and I tried to make my first steak….it was horrible. Honestly, it was so bad, even my dog wouldn’t eat it. I tried feeding it to him…..and he bit me! He knew! Well, things have changed a lot since then, and I’ve learned a lot. Yes, I’ve still burned a couple of nice pieces of meat, over cooked them, etc. but I’m here to share with you how I’ve learned to cook a good steak that you will love to eat. Now first, let me tell you something. I’ve said this before in my recipe blogs…..PRACTICE, MAKES PERFECT. Like many things in life, the more you do something, the better you get at it and cooking is no different. It doesn’t mean you can’t pull something off the first time, but….keep at it. In time, you’ll be able to whip up a steak amazingly fast, that will be mouth watering, and have your friends and family think you are secretly a world class chef! So let’s go!
Ingredients:
1 8oz to 10oz strip steak
butter
thyme
garlic
a neutral cooking oil
salt
pepper
Directions:
The one major thing I have learned about cooking steak, in a pan, on top of the stove, is that is cooks very fast. It is very important to understand that the thickness of the steak has EVERYTHING to do with how fast it’s going to cook. Thin steaks cook in a matter of 4-5 minutes under medium to high heat. It’s very easy to overcook them. Which means you have to flip them every minute for about 4 minutes, then take them out of the pan.
REMEMBER, STEAKS, MEAT IN GENERAL, KEEPS COOKING ONCE YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE PAN.
Again, I’m going to say, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
Based on my experience, a steak that is 1 inch thick to 1 and a half inches thick is best to cook. Preferably, 1 and a half inch thick.
I don’t like well done steak and I don’t like rare. Medium rare is what I like ……but like I said, it takes practice.
But here’s the thing. Cooking your steak is not hard. It’s actually incredibly easy. BUT…..you have to realize, it’s going to cook fast, you have to stay right over it until it’s done. You are actually going to be working pretty hard, for just a few minutes, but the end result is a mouth watering delicious steak.
So here’s the way I do it. Ready all this directions first. Read them again until you understand what you are to do. Take your time, don’t rush.
Overview.
First of all, let me give you the overview….This is something I never see any cookbook ever provide. What you are doing is cooking the steak in a pan on the stove. You’re going to use not high high heat, but …high heat…you want the pan hot and hot enough that when you drop in a drop of oil, it will sizzle.
Then, You are going to cook the steak in the oil The point of doing this is not just to cook it, but to make a crust on both sides of the steak. This is a process called searing. You are also going to sear all the edges around the steak. During this process, you are going to baste the steak with melted butter and spices.
Remember, this is going to go fast. So if you are making anything else to go with this, like baked potato or another vegetable, they should all be ready to go BEFORE you cook the steak.
Now, let’s cook the Steak.
Take your steaks out of the refrigerator. Rub a good amount, but don’t overdo it, of salt and pepper into each side.
let the steaks rest on a plate for about half an hour to bring them up to room temperature.
So, heat your skillet up with high heat. You’ll know it’s ready when you drop a drop of oil on it and it sizzles. Add an eighth of a cup of oil to the pan. Let it heat up. Stir the oil with a spatula.
Be careful cooking with oil in high heat, splatters can cause a fire.
Once the oil starts to sizzle, drop the steaks in the pan. Now, you have to be careful as time means everything. You are going to “sear” which means to leave the steak on each side for about 3 minutes on each side. Then, you are going to use a pair of tongs, and lift the steak up and hold it with the tongs, and ‘sear’ all the edges. “Sear” the edges for at least one minute on each edge. Once the edges are done, remove the steaks from the pan to a plate and let them rest.
Next, reduce the heat in the skillet to medium. Take the skillet off the heat and let it calm down for a few minutes before you put it back on the heat.
Once the skillet has heated up to medium, add a half cup of butter and melt it. Once melted, add a bunch of fresh thyme and crushed garlic and mesh it well with the butter until the butter is effused with the thyme. Then, add the steaks back to the pan. You are only going to cook the steaks in the pan for 2 minutes on each side. But during this time you have to continually baste the steak with the melted butter in the pan. After one minute, flip the steak and continue to baste. After 4 minutes, remove the steaks from the pan. Place them on a plate and let them rest for at least 5 minutes. Then, serve them.
You might need a few things to help you cook this so here are some ideas. These are items from Amazon that are linked to my affiliate account and if you purchase any I maybe compensated.
A lot of people swear that the best way to cook steaks is in a cast iron skillet. I don’t know. Maybe. But here is one you might consider.
Amazon Basics Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, Heavy-Duty & Large, 15-Inch, Black.
I know, I know…you can buy steaks at your local market, or wherever. But here’s some steaks from Omaha Steaks that look awfully good.
Omaha Steaks Deluxe Gift Package (2x Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignons, 2x Butcher’s Cut Top Sirloins, 4x Omaha Steaks Burgers, 4x Gourmet Jumbo Franks, 4x Potatoes au Gratin, 4x Caramel Apple Tartlets, 1 jar Omaha Steaks Seasoning).
How about a nice set of dinner plates to enjoy your steak.
Stoneware Dinner Plates Set of 4, Modern Style Stoneware , 10.2″” Ceramic Plates With Lipped Edges, Dishwasher, Microwave Safe Dinner Plates, Stoneware Plates, Kitchen Plates-Petrol Blue, Large
Are you looking for more ideas for meals? I have your answer! Try my “100 Recipes”. Not like any cookbook you’ve seen. No more thumbing through pages! Just click on the recipe and you’re immediately taken to it. Want to check on another recipe? Just click on the ‘contents’ box on each page. So easy to use! Get yours here.
