A perfectly cooked pan-seared steak is always welcome. Perfectly seared on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, its rich, meaty flavor is a dream come true for meat lovers.
There is nothing more wonderful than indulging in a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak basted with butter, fresh garlic, and fresh herbs. Once you have tried this technique, you will want to have steak more often. Try my Steak Au Poivre or Marinated and Stuffed Filets Mignons with Merlot Habanero Sauce
The secret to a perfect steak can be challenging, even for seasoned cooks. There is so much to consider, from the cut of the meat to the seasoning and cooking method. This is why I am so excited to share my failproof tips for making the PERFECT Pan-Seared Steak. With a few tips, your steaks will turn out juicy and delicious every time.
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In this Article
- Subscribe to Giangi's Kitchen!
- Why you will love this recipe
- Butter Basted Steak
- What is the Best Steak To Sear?
- Ingredients needed to make this recipe
- Equipment Needed
- Step-by-step on how to cook this pan seared steak recipe on a stovetop
- Pro Tips
- What dishes can you enjoy with this pan seared steak?
- Storing and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- If you enjoy this pan seared steak recipe, you may want to try my other recipes.
- VIDEO: COOK ALONG WITH ME
- Pan Seared Steak
Why you will love this recipe
Easy guide and tips to achieve the best-cooked steaks.
Enjoy a romantic dinner at home and do not forget the candles and soft music.
Cooking the perfect juicy, rich-in-flavor steak at home for a fraction of your favorite steakhouse.
No gadgets needed – You will need just a killet, cooking tong and a spoon to prepare this great steak.
Butter Basted Steak
I learned this classic technique year ago while on a trip to Cannes visiting a wonderful Chef and friend Eliane, at her cooking school.
This classic technique involves cooking the surface of your food under high heat, searing, and undisturbed in a piping hot pan until crisp, golden brown crust forms. I cannot stress enough the undisturbed part as it is critical that once your steak begins to sear, you allow it to do it without pocking it or moving it. Doing so will stop the cooking process, even if it is for a second, thus not creating the crust you want.
Once both sides of your steak are beautifully seared, you start building your flavor by adding butter to the pan as well as the garlic and fresh herbs.
Slightly tilt your pan, and with a large spoon start basting your steaks. The flavored herbs infused unsalted butter spooned over the steaks will be slowly absorbed by your steak. The result is a perfectly cooked with a golden crust steak that is juicy and tender.
This layer building is the what makes your steak restaurant worthy.
What is the Best Steak To Sear?
Boneless cuts between one and one and a half inches thick, such as NY strips, ribeye steak, or filet mignon, are the best candidates for pan searing.
Quality also has a lot to do. Whenever possible, try to choose Prime grade or, at the very least, Choice grade. It’s a bit more pricey, but it’s worth it, as you can really tell the difference in quality.
Choose a steak with some fat around it and great marbling. This allows the steak to remain juicy and gives plenty of flavor.
Thick-cut steaks that are at least 1 1/2 inches thick are the best. This will give you plenty of time to sear the steak beautifully on the outside without overcooking the inside.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe
This is a short introduction. The ingredient list is also brief. It includes essential items that you may already have in your pantry. Please read the recipe for complete instructions.
New York strip Steak – 1 1/2 inches thick and around 12 ounces makes for a great steak. Ensure they are all cut the way and size for even cooking. Your steak needs to have plenty of marble.
Olive oil – to sear your steak as it can withstand high heat
Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking or baking to control the amount of sodium. Salted butter not only adds too much salt to your dish, but it changes the flavor.
Garlic cloves – peeled. You can smash them if you wish. The oils of the garlic infuse the butter, leaving a wonderful flavor to your meat while basting.
Fresh rosemary springs and Fresh thyme sprigs – Those are the herbs that I have on my garden. You can also use oregano, or sage if you have those on hand.
Ground pepper and Salt – Seasoning the outside of your steak and the salt creates a savory crust. I add pepper toward the end of cooking, but most do it beforehand.
Fleur De Sel – This is optional, but if you have it a few pinches over your steaks gives it an amazing taste.
Equipment Needed
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Step-by-step on how to cook this pan seared steak recipe on a stovetop
With all my recipes, please assemble all the ingredients before starting cooking and baking. I never use a meat thermometer; I can feel it by touching the steak, and I never failed to prepare my steak medium-rare as the instructions below are for. I add 1 minute to medium and 2 to 3 minutes for well done.
If you do not feel comfortable, please use a digital meat thermometer until you know how long your steak will take to cook.
Not all stoves are alike; I use gas, and the timing is related to that.
Start by preparing the steak
- Bring to room temperature at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Dry it with a paper towel
- Seasoned it generously with salt and pepper on all sides
Meanwhile
- Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet and heat over high heat. Once it reaches the smoke point, add your steaks to the skillet and let them sear for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Wait – do NOT touch it
- By now, the edges will have turned brown, and your steaks will freely move when you touch them. With the help of your cooking tongs, turn your steak over and sear for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Both sides should be beautifully seared. Stand up your steaks and sear the sides. This gives you a perfectly cooked steak. Do not leave it too long; you just want to give it beautiful colors and a slight sear.
Time to start basting
- Add your butter, garlic, and fresh herbs to the skillet.
- Grab the handle, it is hot so be very careful, and slightly tilt.
- Using your basting spoon, spoon the melted butter over the steaks continuously for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Resting time
- Place your steaks on a wire rack and let them rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving. Sprinkle a pinch or two of fleur de sel before serving, it is optional.
Pro Tips
- Always bring your steak to room temperature for at least one hour before cooking it. This will allow for better overall cooking.
- Your skillet must be hot smoking in order to achieve the perfect sear and the beautiful browned color you want.
- Whatever you do, please do NOT touch the steaks while they are initially searing. Touching or moving around will stop the cooking, and you will not have a golden sear.
- Use cooking tongs. Anything that will poke your meat is not recommended, as it will allow the blood to run off, causing the heat to penetrate the holes and cook faster, giving you a lopsided steak.
- Baste constantly to ensure that even cooking and flavor penetrates your meat.
- Remove your slightly undercooked steak to your desired doneness. Once it is removed from the stovetop, it will continue cooking.
- Once your steak is done, let it rest before serving it or slicing it. This is a hard step to do, but while your meat is resting, all the juices will settle. Not doing so will cause all the juices to drain out of your steak as soon as you cut it.
- If you serve your steak sliced, do not make the slices too thin; otherwise, your steak will cool off quickly.
- Slice steak against the grain and at an angle for a great presentation
What dishes can you enjoy with this pan seared steak?
Here are some of my favorite sides to serve with this pan-seared steak recipe.
We keep it very simple: we love our steak, frites, and salade.
I suggest to add a refreshing Carrot Salad or Butter Lettuce Salad with Shallots Vinaigrette. Petits Pois A La Francaise are amazing alongside just in case you are not in the mood for salads.
Easy Green Beans Gremolata or Garlic Potatoes . A great balance of flavors as well as Asparagus with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Now to the ever-favorite, potatoes. I have a few recipes that marry well wiht steak: Potatoes Cooked in Milk, or Bacon, Onion, Raclette Potato Gratin, or indulge on an amazing Oven Baked Potato
You did not think I would forget dessert did you? Pear Clafoutis or just fresh apples, pears or any in seasonal fresh fruit.
Storing and Reheating
Storing: Allow your steak to be completely cooled off and store it on an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating: Bring your leftover steak to room temperature and reheat it on a hot pan with a small amount of butter or oil until heated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you pan-sear a steak?
The time it takes depends on the desired doneness and the thickness of the meat.
Rare to medum-rare: Sear for 2 to 3 mimnutes per side.
Medium-rate to medium: Sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side
Medium to well-done: Sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side
Should I cook steak in olive oil or butter?
Butter has a low burning point, so it will burn faster. It is better to start your cooking process with olive oil or vegetable oil and add the butter towards the end of cooking.
What oils are best to cook steaks in?
In order to get a great sear on your steaks, you will need to use high-smoke-point oils like avocado oil, canola oil, corn oil, and peanut oil.
How long do you cook a 2-inch thick steak in a pan?
For a 2-inch steak, you may want to cook it for 8 minutes, 4 minutes on each side.
If you enjoy this pan seared steak recipe, you may want to try my other recipes.
VIDEO: COOK ALONG WITH ME
Pan Seared Steak
Ingredients
- 2 New York steaks, 12-once each
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- fresh cracked black pepper
- Sea salt
- Fleur de Sel, optional
Instructions
- Bring the steaks to room temperature about 1 hour before cooking. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides
- Add olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and heat over high until it smokes. Add the steaks to the skillet, and do not touch them until you see the edges turning brown. 3 to 4 minutes
- Wait do NOT TOUCH it 🙂 it needs to sear
- With cooking tongs, gently touch the steaks; if they move freely, then turn them over and cook the other side until you touch them with the cooking tongs, and they move freely in the skillet. 1 to 2 minutes
- Once both sides are beautifully seared, stand up the steak on one side and then on the other with your tongs. You want to sear all sides beautifully.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and butter to the skillet.
- Holding the handle of your skillet once the butter has melted, slightly tilt your skillet and start spooning the butter, basting, over your steaks. Continue basting your steaks for 2 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the steaks and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing them.Sprinkle some Fleur de Sel over the steak before slicing or enjoying it, but of course, this is optional.
Notes
Pro Tips
- Always bring your steak to room temperature for at least one hour before cooking it. This will allow for better overall cooking.
- Your skillet must be hot smoking in order to get that beautiful browned color you want, and achieve the perfect sear.
- What ever you do, do NOT touch the steaks while they initially sear. The touching/moving around will stop the cooking and you will not achieve a golden sear.
- Use cooking tong a must. Anything that will poke your meat is not recommended as it will allow the blood to run off and have the heat penetrate the holes and cook faster giving you a lobsided cooked steak.
- Baste constantly to ensure that even cooking and flavor penetrates your meat.
- Remove your steak slightly undercooked from your desire doneness. It will continue cooking once it is removed from the stovetop.
- Once your steak is done, rest before serving or slicing it. Hard step to do, but while your meat is resting all the juices to settle. Not doing so all all your juices will out of your steak as soon as you cut into.
- If you serve your steak sliced, do not make the slices too thin; otherwise, your steak will cool off quickly.
- Slice steak against the grain and at an angle for an excellent presentation
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Beef, Veal & Lamb, Dinners
- Cuisine: American, French
- Type: Under 45 minutes, Videos
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