Don't be Afraid to Cook Your Own Steak

The finished product. This was medium well, which is how I like my rib eyes.  By the way, it was tender and delicious and was one of the best steaks I have ever had.  Photo by Rob Robitaille

Steak lovers are fiercely loyal.  They like such and such steak done such and such...and so should you.  I myself am a steak lover and also have these feelings.  I love rib eyes.  They are a nice size, have plenty of fat, and are very tender.  I like mine medium well.  I think the flavor is better and they are more tender done more toward the well end of the spectrum.   However, I draw the line at telling you which steak is best and how it should be cooked.   One of my buddies likes his rib eye cooked just enough to heat it up and get some grill marks.  I don't like mine that way, but he does and that is really all that matters.  Because there so many opinions of how to cook steaks, some people feel overwhelmed and never cook them at home because they overhear steak fans going into great detail on how to do it.  It doesn't have to be that way and you don't have to be an expert to cook a great steak the way YOU like it.  If you start with a good steak and follow some simple guidelines, you will soon be cranking out steaks that rival, and in many cases exceed the quality of a good steak house.  This post will show you how to cook a rib eye similar to how you would get one at a steak house.

Selecting the right steak

Most meat counters offer rib eyes cut to about one inch, which will work fine for this.  If they are thinner, then you will have a very well done steak by the time you get a nice crust on the outside.  If they are thicker than that, that's okay.  It will take a bit longer to cook and will be a lot more to eat.  The most important thing to look for is brightly colored meat with no dark patches, that indicate is has been sitting for a while.  Next, make sure it has a lot of fat marbled into the meat.  Remember, fat is flavor and will make for a really tender steak.  Typically, if you follow those rules, you should have an excellent steak experience.

Prep the steak

Regardless of whether or not you will be making the steak right away, unwrap it and salt it. I know what you are thinking, but it won't dry it out.  Well...it will in a sense, but in a good way.  It serves two purposes.  First, it gives the salt time to penetrate the meat a bit and it helps remove some water, which will enhance the beef flavor.  The fat in the steak will keep it moist and tender.

When you are going to make the steak, remove it from the refrigerator and unwrap it.  If you like some pepper, now is the time.  Let the steak come up to room temperature.

My rib eye ready for the pan.  Note the fat marbled into the meat.  Photo by Rob Robitaille

Cooking the steak

I have been cooking steaks for years.  My all time favorite method is to grill them over oak logs, which is very time consuming, but my goodness does it make a great steak.  My second favorite method is to sear them in a heavy pan on your stove or cook top.  Stay away from non stick because we are going to be using a lot of heat.  I have an All-Clad pan that I like, and I also have several cast iron pans that I also use.  To be honest, the All-Clad works great and is on the top of my stack of pans, which is why it gets the most use.  Put the pan on your highest power burner and fire it up.  You want the pan smoking hot for this.  In the mean time, drizzle a bit of canola oil on the steak and rub it in to both sides.  This will help the steak get a nice crust.   I should probably mention that this will make quite a bit of smoke, so a good vent hood is important.   When the pan is really hot, put the steak in.  Resist the urge to poke or prod at the thing.  I should also mention that the steak is stuck to your pan right now.  Don't worry, it will release once the crust starts to form.  (This is an especially valuable piece of information when you are cooking chicken since chicken is so delicate and tends to shred if you try to move it around too soon.)  After three or four minutes you can take a quick peek under the steak to see how it looks, once it has a nice brown crust, you can flip it.  Cook it for roughly the same amount of time until it is done.

This is the crust you are looking for.  Photo by Rob Robitaille

Knowing when it is done

The best way is by feel.  Get in the habit of poking the steak with your finger somewhere toward the center.  It takes practice, but after you do a few of them, you will be able to tell.  If the meat dents and the indentation of your finger does not pop back up, it is on the rare range (give or take).  If it feel firm, but but yields and your finger does not leave an indentation, you are in the medium range (give or take).  If it feels very firm and doesn't yield much, it is more on the well done range (give or take).  When I say "give or take", I mean that it is not an exact science.  Also, different cuts feel different when they are the same "doneness".  A rib eye is more yielding than a strip steak.  A strip steak will always feel more done than a rib eye.  You just come to know these things with practice.  How you like your steak done is entirely up to you. you may find that you like different steaks done differently.  I do. I like rib eyes medium well, my strip steaks medium, and filet mignon rare to medium rare.  You will find that, if you start with a really good steak, and you miss the mark on how you like it done, you will probably still enjoy your steak experience.  If it is under done, you can always throw it back on the heat.  If it is too done to where you just can't eat it, then you need to come up with a plan B.

When it is done

When your steak is done, remove it from the pan to a warm heavy plate and ignore it for about 5-7 minutes.  This is referred to as letting the steak rest.  If you would cut into it right now, the juice would be pushed out and you would be eating a dry steak.  Now is the time to finish the steak with a pat of butter or compound butter like Kraueter Butter.  It also gives you time to clean up your pan.*

Completing the menu

Steak goes good with a lot of things: salads, creamed vegetables, potatoes, etc.  I personally like creamed greens, like kale, chard or napa cabbage, during the cold months and salads in the warmer months.  Red wine is great with a steak, so is beer.  Whatever wine or beer you like with it is up to you.  If you aren't sure, my advice is to not be afraid to go with something with a bit more body to stand up to the boldness of the steak.  All that is left to do is dig in.

Enjoy!

* The best way to clean a heavy seasoned pan, such as cast iron, is to scrub it out when it is still hot with a stiff bristled, long handled brush under hot water, then dry it with some paper towels.  Never use soap.  If that thought bothers you, just think of it as you would your grill.