You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to make the perfect pan-seared steak, seared and caramelized on the exterior and juicy on the inside. People are cooking more frequently and want to enhance their cooking abilities now that everyone is staying at home, working from home, and homeschooling. You’ve been requesting more quick-to-prepare, flavorful dishes with few ingredients. This steak meal is delicious and will leave your entire family speechless. The garlic rosemary-infused butter in this Pan-Seared Steak gives it a steakhouse flavor.
Add steaks and sear each side for 3-4 minutes, or until a brown crust forms; then turn steaks over and sear edges with tongs (1 min per edge). Melt butter with quartered garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs and add aromatics. Cook to the desired doneness by tilting the pan and spooning garlic butter over the steaks (see chart below).
How To Make Pan-Seared Steak?
This one-pan, the 20-minute meal is made on the stovetop (no need to finish it in the oven). This is one of our go-to steak recipes, and we make it all year because it’s so quick and easy to prepare.
That garlic butter is just delicious! Continue reading for helpful hints on how to increase beef sustainability and prevent food waste and easy meal prep ideas for leftover steak.
It doesn’t get much simpler than this, and you don’t need much to cook an excellent steak. We used two 1-pound, 1-1/4-inch thick New York Strip Steaks (below). Keep in mind that a thicker steak will take longer to cook than a thinner steak.
Ingredients:
- 2-pound New York Strip Steaks (2 steaks) or 1-pound Ribeye or Top Sirloin Steaks (1 1/4″ thick)
- 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil, or any other high-heat cooking oil such as canola or extra light olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter (unsalted)
- Two garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
- One rosemary sprig, fresh
Instructions:
- Using paper towels, thoroughly dry the meat—season with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and one teaspoon black pepper just before cooking.
- Heat the cast iron pan until it is hot, then add 1/2 tablespoon oil and stir to coat over medium-high heat. Add the steaks to the skillet once the oil is boiling.
- Sear the steaks for 4 minutes on the first side until a brown crust forms, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. To render the white fat and sear the edges, flip the steak on its side with tongs (1-minute per edge).
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add two tablespoons of butter, quartered garlic cloves, and rosemary to the pan.
- Toss the steak in the butter sauce, tilting the pan to get butter on your spoon.
- Continue spooning the sauce over the steak for another minute or until it’s about 5-10 degrees short of being done (the temperature will continue to rise another 5-10 degrees while the steaks rest).
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside for 10 minutes before slicing it into 1/2″ strips to serve.
- To serve, spoon more butter sauce over the sliced meat.
How Do You Make A Good Steak Sear?
Brush the pan with oil and preheat to medium. Splatter is reduced by using only 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Sear steaks – add steaks and sear each side for 3-4 minutes, or until a brown crust forms; then turn steaks over and sear edges with tongs (1 min per edge).
Apply the oil to the prepared skillet using a brush, then add the steaks. They should make a lot of noise when they sizzle. Sear for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the outside is browned and the inside is medium-rare. After cooking, let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes on a plate.
Set the pan over high heat with a few teaspoons of vegetable oil (which has a more excellent smoke point). As the pan warms up, pat the meat dry to avoid steaming instead of searing. You’re ready to add the meat when the oil begins to shimmer and smoke slightly.
How Long Do You Pan Sear A Steak For Medium?
Cook for 8-12 minutes total, depending on the desired doneness until meat is deeply browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120°F for medium-rare or 130°F for medium, adjusting heat to medium if the steak appears to be browning too quickly and flipping the steak halfway through.
Thin steaks (less than 1 1/2 inches thick) cook rapidly; cook until the meat is browned, about 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to the pan, then top with one steak right away.
With the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter and steak, repeat the process. 3 to 4 minutes, without rotating the steaks, until a golden-brown crust forms. Cook for another 2 minutes if you want it rare, or 3 to 4 minutes if you want it medium-rare.
What Temperature Do You Sear A Steak In A Cast Iron Skillet?
Sear each surface for 2 minutes at 425°F (218°C), then decrease to 375°F (190°C) and cook for the necessary times based on the thickness of your steak and desired doneness. The burner will heat the skillet and begin the steak cooking process, while the grill or oven will finish the job.
The grill or oven should be warmed to a high temperature, roughly 500 degrees. Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius), although any temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius) or more excellent would suffice.
A cast-iron pan is the best pan for a high-quality sear. An enamel-coated cast iron dutch oven is our preferred deep-frying vessel because of its ability to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the cooking process. The temperature at the surface
Should I Use Butter Or Oil For The Steak?
Cooking oil, not butter, must be used to sear the steak. Butter burns fast and readily, turning black and imparting an unpleasant flavor to the meat. Cooking oil, particularly those having a high smoke point, remains stable at high temperatures.
As you can see, the smoke point of butter is far lower than that of oil. As a result, if you were putting a dab of butter in a skillet hot enough to sear your steak first will almost certainly cause it to burn. That isn’t to say you can’t enjoy the delightful flavors of butter with your steak.
Let the skillet preheat until blazing hot before adding a splash of cooking oil; let the skillet preheat until blazing hot. Then, grill it for three to four minutes without disturbing the steak before flipping it over and scorching the other side.
What Kind Of Oil Should I Use For Cooking Steak?
Vegetables, canola, and peanut oils are the best cooking oils for grilled steak. All three oils are inexpensive, have a neutral flavor, and won’t burn at higher temperatures. As a result, you might use these oils on a scorching grill without altering the flavor of your steak.
What kind of oil should I use for cooking my steak? When cooking steak in cast iron skillets, you’ll want to use a high-smoke-point oil. Due to their high smoke values, peanut oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, and avocado oil are excellent choices for cooking steak.
Season both sides of the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, ensuring a visible layer of seasoning on both surfaces. The salt should not build up on the meat, but it should cover it. The steak is effectively donning a salt-and-pepper t-shirt.
Conclusion
Because the internal temperature continues to rise while it rests, remove steaks from the pan 5-10 degrees before target doneness is reached. Use this chart to assess steak doneness when testing with an instant-read thermometer.
For example, if you want a medium-rare steak, take it from the pan at 145 degrees F and let it rest until it reaches 150-155 degrees F. According to the USDA, steaks should be cooked to 145 degrees. More beef safety advice can be found here. Use the steak temperature chart below. These figures represent the ultimate temperature after a 10-minute rest period.
