8 quick steps to a perfectly seasoned, perfectly done steak…every time.
When I was 17 and super eager to drive, I offered to do the food shopping. My father heard that I had volunteered for the job and told me, “You can’t go. You don’t know how to pick out a good piece of steak.”
“Sure I do,” I replied. “I’ll look for the size and cut you want.” (It was a minute steak split/fillet, which is a great value. If you’re not buying this cut, you should start now! This is not to be confused with fillet steak.)
That’s when I received my first lesson in marbling…because the first step in cooking a great steak begins at the market.
Recently, when friend and colleague Renee Muller (the great talent) asked me to send her my standard steak recipe, and then quickly changed her order to, “HEY, why don’t you write it up for the website and call it, ‘How To Cook an Awesome Steak in Not Such Awesome Weather,’ I have to say, I was pulled in hook line and sinker.
If I’m not using my new favorite toy, the sous vide (great for erev Shabbos OCD-ers, because you put it up Thursday night. Major perk. Also for another article), here’s what I do.
• Season steak generously with crushed garlic (yes I cheat and use cubes plenty of times), coarse kosher salt, and plenty of freshly crushed black pepper. I highly recommend crushing your pepper fresh with a grinder. I buy the disposable ones (I get mine at Trader Joe’s, but most supermarkets and price clubs sell black peppercorns in a grinder) so I don’t have to bother refilling them, and I use them all day long. The same goes for salt. I use that disposable salt grinder all day long.
• Add a hefty splash of soy sauce. Now here’s where I get a bit soy sauce snobby. Check the ingredients on your soy sauce. If it says, “High fructose corn syrup,” you should probably reconsider your choice next time you are in the sauce aisle of your supermarket. I usually use Kikkoman, and I buy the large container at Costco.
• Add a drizzle of olive oil. I do want to not say this, but I have to because it makes a bit of a difference, but I use a pinch of onion soup mix (msg-free, of course) on there too. I also add some Trader Joe’s BBQ Coffee Rub sometimes; that stuff is great!
• Turn the steak over, and repeat on the second side.
• Then, if you have time, let it marinate for a few hours, but I also cook my steaks right after I season them too.
• Heat up a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil until the oil is shimmering. If you have a cast-iron skillet, use it. I love them. Using kitchen tongs, place your meat down on the skillet. And let it sit there until it releases on its own and doesn’t stick when you try to move it. When it does that, you will know you just locked in the juices on your meat…resulting in a more juicy bite, oh yes. This shouldn’t take longer than a minute to ninety seconds.
• Then, transfer your meat to a disposable pan (you don’t want any carry-over cooking from the heat of the skillet) and place in a pre-heated 280-320 degree oven (depending on how thick your steak is). That will get you a medium rare edge to edge.
• Now, here’s the cool part. Turn OFF your oven. And let it sit in there, without even one little peek until you are ready to serve. Perfect even doneness every time.
Try it and let me know how much you loved it! Email me at editor@kosher.com
Check out this super-quick 2-ingredient side dish!
what type of meat am i looking for? and how long does, it sit in the oven for turned on and off?
Hi! I like to use a bone-in rib steak for this method, but you can really use anything you like. If you are using a really thick steak, (like 2″ or more) make sure you get a really good sear, 3 minutes of searing time, flipping it twice so you get even done-ness throughout. I often use this method for Shabbos, so I sear it right before Shabbos and leave it in the oven till I’m ready to serve it. Otherwise, I leave it in the oven for about an hour.
So what is the big trick in picking out a good piece of meat?
Can u please give us an estimate as to how long to leave it in the closed oven? What’s the minimum or maximum amount of time it needs? Thanks
I leave it in there for anywhere between 1 hour (if its for supper) to 3-4 hours if its for a Shabbos meal.
How long do you sear on each side?
Hi Chanie! On a standard 1.5″ rib eye I sear it for about a minute to a minute and a half on each side. For anything thicker than that, I would do it for 3 minutes total, but I would flip it twice midway, so you get a nice even sear aka not too much grayness 🙂
Also you leave it in oven covered or uncovered ?
UNcovered!! If you cover it, you’ll steam your steak. Not such a great texture on a really great steak!
Chaya, marbling is the little avenues of fat running through your steak. The more lines of fat, the more flavor, and the more tender your steak will be. Marbling also determines the quality of the meat.
S how does the steak stay warm in the oven it it’s off so long?