How to: Cook the Perfect Steak

So I never used to know what cut of steak to get when I went to the Butcher at the grocery store. There are so many options and they all look very tasty! After testing out tons of different cuts of steak and how to cook them, I zeroed in on my perfect cut- The New York Strip. In my opinion it has the perfect amount of marbling, is very flavorful, and doesn’t have too much fat. I like to sear my steak in a cast iron skillet to get that initial crispy outside layer, and then finish it in the oven so the edges don’t burn. I prefer my steak a nice medium rare, which is pretty pink in the middle but not totally rare, with a good brown edge. I think you when have a really good quality piece of meat you should never over cook it! (Except when your talking about poultry.)

steak 2

How to: Cook the Perfect Steak

Ingredients

  • 1 New York Strip
  • 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 tbsp. Room Temperature Butter
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Preheat a cast iron skillet to high heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Let the skillet heat up- the oil should have a ripple effect going on before you put in the meat.
  3. Bring your steak to room temperature. You never want to cook a piece of meat straight from the refrigerator. It will cause the meat to be less tender. Season your steak liberally with salt and pepper on both sides! It should look like you have over seasoned, but this is what you want. I think a big problem with people cooking steak is they don\'t season it enough before they cook it, causing the steak to be bland and flavorless.
  4. Once the oil is rippling you can sear the steak. Now lay it in the skillet and do not touch it! It needs to form that amazing crust we all love. Cook the steak until it turns dark brown, but not black on one side (about 3 to 4 minutes) and then do the same to the other side. Once the steak has been seared to the color of your liking place the butter on top and put it in the oven. You do not need to transfer to a new dish, the cast iron does great in the oven! Cook the steak for about 6 to 10 minutes or until the steak registers at 130- 135 degrees. I know when my steak is ready by touch, the steak should feel soft but have a bit of a spring back to it. Once the meat reaches the correct cooking temperature of your liking take it out.
  5. The most important part of cooking the steak is to LET IT REST. Many people skip this part which completely ruins a steak. The steak needs to rest so all of the flavors can lock in and redistribute throughout the meat. It should rest for at least 10 minutes. I like to serve my steak thinly sliced, against the grain. The steak should still bloody in the center, but not all red.
  6. Let me tell you, I have test cooked all kinds of steak and this is by far the juiciest, most tender, and flavorful steak I have ever had. The butter adds a nice velvety richness to the steak and you wouldn\'t believe it but the salt and pepper alone give the meat so much flavor, it doesn\'t need anything else!

Shop my look while I cook:

My favorite dish to cook The Perfect Steak in is this cast iron skillet

Steak Temperatures:

Rare- 120-125 degrees

Medium Rare- 130-135 degrees

Medium- 14o-145 degrees

Medium Well- 150-155 degrees

Well Done- 160+ degrees

xo, Rachel

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