Prep Time  20minutes
Cook Time  25minutes
Total Time  45mins

Five Rules for the Perfect Steak

I get a lot of questions about how to cook steaks and other red meat.  And while there are certainly some challenges, with the right game plan, it’s not difficult to cook the perfect steak everytime.

I’m going to leave “red meat” (in which I’d include roasts, short ribs, rack of lamb, venison, bear, elk, moose, buffalo…I know, enough already) for another time, and today, just give you my Five Golden Rules for a Great Steak.  While in this video, I’m use a ribeye, the same rules apply to just about any cut of steak, and either grilling or cooking indoors.

Rule 1: Know your steak

Different cuts of steak have different attributes.  Tenderness and flavor can vary quite a bit, but that’s not all.  Some cuts, like flank steak, like to be cut in a certain direction (against the grain) after cooking, or have different “ideal” doneness – I like my tenderloin slightly more cooked than a New York Strip.

One of the biggest factors you need to be aware of is the thickness of the steak. The thicker the steak the longer it will take to get the center to your desired doneness.  You also get more time to develop the sear on the outside of the steak – which is why I generally prefer thicker steaks.  Before you even start cooking, thickness will tell you if you’re going to be cooking the steak for just a couple minutes on each side, or several minutes on each side.

Rule 2: Make sure you season

When I refer to seasoning, I’m talking about salt and pepper, which 95% of the time is all I put on my steaks.  If you want to add other spices, that’s totally fine, but salt and pepper is a must.  And you need to be generous.  Going back to rule 1, the thicker your steak, the more seasoning you need.  And you need to season both sides.  Also keep in mind, that some seasoning falls off into the grill or pan, so you need to factor that in as well.

I like to use kosher salt because of the size of the grains, and a freshly ground black pepper.

Rule 3: Get a sear on both sides

I think this is the most important part of the process.  Searing, crystallizes the sugars in the meat, it render down the fat, and gives the outside of the steak that awesome crunchy layer that contrasts so nicely with the inside of the meat.   It’s what steak houses do so well.

To get the perfect sear, get your pan or grill, smoking hot - as hot as you can.  Add some oil to the pan (or to the meat for grilling), and if the oil doesn’t smoke, let it continue to heat until it does.  Lay the steak, carefully and with confidence, into the pan and you should get  big time sizzling.  If you don’t, remove the steak, and let it get hotter.  Don’t move the steak around.  You need maximum heat transfer from the pan to the steak and every time you move that steak you lose heat.  And don’t worry about burning!!

Even at this heat, it would take at least 5 minutes (probably more) to burn, aka – turn black.  It will take at least 2 minutes to get a good sear, probably more like 3.  The thinner the steak, that less time you have to get the sear (because you don’t want an over done center), so it’s critical to let the heat do its thing.

After 2 – 3 minutes you can check the seared side.  You’re looking for a deep brown crust.  Flip the steak to sear the other side.  By the way, 95% of the time, I only flip my steaks once.  Put the steak into a hot (North of 425 degree) oven.

Rule 4: Know your temperatures

The temperature of steak or its doneness (driven by total cooking time) is totally separate from the sear. You can have steaks ranging from rare to well done, all with a good sear on them.  After I get the steak seared, I use the oven to get it to the proper doneness. On the grill you can move your steak to the side, off the direct flame and create an “over” by closing the lid.

To test doneness use either the “touch” method or a meat thermometer.  Using a thermometer makes things pretty clear, and I recommend it for all beginners.  The only downside is that that you have to own a meat thermometer.  The only key thing I’d advise is to put the thermometer in, and leave it there.  The more you poke the meat, the more you’re going to allow the juices to leak out.

The touch, or feel, method is what I use, and what I hope you’ll learn after you cook enough steaks.  Basically, the firmer a steak, the more well-done it is.  With some practice, you can use that firmness, as well as the length of cooking time to know if the steak is rare, medium or well.  In fact, I suggest that every time you use a thermometer, you also practice the touch technique so you get a sense of what various temps feel like.

Rule 5: Let it rest

As steak cooks, the fat melts and juices heat up, and begin to “run”, or flow more easily throughout the meat.  It’s inevitable for some of those juices to seep out (there’s really no such thing as “searing in the juice”), but cutting into a steak that just came right off the heat increases that flow of juice out of the steak.  What results is dry steak.

So, once you take the steak off the heat, you need to let it rest.  Resting allows the meat to cool down some, and the juices get re-absorbed into the meat.   This results in a juicy steak.  I generally let my steaks rest wrapped in foil for 2 – 5 minutes (which is usually just enough time to make a pan sauce) before I serve.

 

Simply put (and with a rhyme): Steak is great.  There’s no reason to be intimidated or concerned, just follow these 5 basic rules, and they’ll come out perfect each time.

Enjoy!! 

Comments (12 )

Reply
Roz
June 22nd, 2013 - 12:37am
dude...this looks AMAZING. I'm about to make filet mignon and these tips are absolutely wonderful. You are very thorough! thanks for posting!
Reply
Debbie
November 30th, 2013 - 12:48am
Wonderful guide! Much appreciated! Two questions: 1) What oil do you use? and 2) What pan do you use? :) Thanks again for the detailed and informative how-to!! :)
Reply
thomas dormady
September 19th, 2015 - 4:14pm
what oil and what pan do you use
Reply
Anonymous
February 5th, 2014 - 12:26pm
Irritating that you didn't bother to mention the temp for the oven on the youtube video. Total waste of time.
Reply
Dave Beaulieu1
February 7th, 2014 - 3:02pm
It's 400 degrees...mentioned it at 8:50 in the video.
Reply
Terry
December 11th, 2015 - 11:20pm
The written instructions said north of 425 can I take the difference to mean the exact temperature isn't crucial as long as it's at least 400? I'm getting ready for my second attempt at a nice filet. The first try I think my pan was too small, it was sizzling so much it scared me & I had a hard time not burning myself. I reduced the oven heat because I didn't want to cover the oven with oil splatters. Even though I didn't get it as done as I like, it was still delicious. Thanks for the instructions.
Reply
Anna
April 3rd, 2014 - 5:58pm
Just cooked a perfect filet mignon for the first time. Your guide is simple but thorough and that is appreciated. Thanks!
Reply
Emily
September 16th, 2014 - 4:51pm
If you are going for a rare steak, should 3 mins of searing on each side be sufficient? Thanks :)
Reply
Juan
June 19th, 2015 - 2:31pm
I don't cook. I can't cook. I could burn a PB&J sandwich. I have an amazing wife who cooks great food for use all the time and I wash the dishes (small price to pay) But, yesterday she was working late and I was hungry and didn't want her to have to cook after a long day so I dove off the deep end and followed your guide. she walked in to the apartment when I was finishing seasoning/testing the pan heat and she was bewildered. I followed your guide and made some side sweet potatoes from another guide (which were terrible btw) and voila dinner was ready. It was perfect. The taste was great I got my perfect medium and nailed her medium rare. It was juicy and completely made up for the sweet potatoes. I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you. I surprised my wife and had a great dinner and got excited about cooking something for myself. you are the man. case-in-point.
Reply
syed
May 21st, 2017 - 4:43pm
how much time we should keep the stake inside the pre-heated oven?
Reply
온라인바카라
June 24th, 2020 - 12:28pm
I was really worried, and I met Jean Instow and told her about it. <a href="http://xn--oi2b30g3ueowi6mjktg.vom77.com" target="_blank">바카라사이트</a> <a href="http://xn--oi2ba146a24mbtbtvt.vom77.com" target="_blank">온라인바카라</a> <a href="http://xn--mp2bs6av7jp7brh74w2jv.vom77.com" target="_blank">슬롯머신사이트</a> <a href="http://xn--vf4b27jfzgc8d5ub.vom77.com" target="_blank">포커사이트</a> <a href="http://xn--o80by81agsfmwa85o.vom77.com" target="_blank">카지노주소</a> <a href="http://xn--o80b910a26eepc81il5g.vom77.com" target="_blank">카지노사이트</a> <a href="http://xn--o80b27i69npibp5en0j.vom77.com" target="_blank">온라인카지노</a> <a href="http://xn--7m2b7ov9poqh97o.vom77.com" target="_blank">룰렛사이트</a> <a href="http://xn--ij2bx6j77bo2kdi289c.vom77.com" target="_blank">블랙잭사이트</a>
Reply
바카라사이트
January 2nd, 2021 - 3:07am
Of course not for a reason. When a servant commits a sin in the old days when serious things were common, http://cc.vmm789.com

Leave a comment

Top Categories

Our most popular recipes in our most popular foods.


Pasta

Our best pasta recipes & techniques will have you cooking like an Italian Grandma.

Chicken

The best chicken recipe, is the well-cooked chicken recipe. Learn our secrets now...

Pork

Tired of dull, dry pork? So are we! Learn how to make the best chops on the block.

Steak

Fear not! The grill, the pan, the oven, we've got you covered with the recipes and techniques to get the perfect steak...