Pretty much anyone can cook a steak — but how many people have truly mastered the art?
From rookie mistakes to little-known tips and tricks, here are the mistakes most often
made when pan searing steak.
A great steak starts with the right cut of meat, as different steaks will deliver different
levels of tenderness and flavor, and usually require different cooking times. Generally,
the best cuts for pan-searing are tenderloins, hanger steaks, rib-eyes, rump steaks, and
sirloins. The meat should always be at room temperature before cooking, and it's recommended
to pat the surface of the steak to dry it before cooking, as this will help to form
a good crust while cooking.
And if you really want to nail the perfect seared steak, you might want to consider spending
extra on some aged beef — and of course, as any chef will tell you, the more marbling
visible on the meat, the better. To prep your steak, you'll want to use a little kosher
salt and a dash of butter. Before you get cooking, though, it's important to find out
how long you'll need to sear the particular cut of meat you've chosen.
Once the steak has been left sitting for a good amount of time — about 20 to 30 minutes,
usually — it's time to get your pan ready. The most important thing here is that the
pan is thick-bottomed and good-quality; cast iron is always a good choice. In order to
give your steak a nice crust, it's going to have to get very hot indeed, and cast iron
pans retain and conduct heat both evenly and efficiently. But make sure you're treating
that pan well — as Michael Haas of Angry BBQ says:
"Cast Iron requires maintenance and upkeep so always make sure your pan is well seasoned
[with] vegetable oil or butter after every use."
And don't worry if you can't get your hands on a cast iron pan, as it isn't your only
option; a heavy-duty thick frying pan or heavy griddle pan will probably do the job just
as well.
Oh, and make sure you don't overcrowd the pan, as it will cause the meat to cool off
and begin to form juices, which might end up steaming your steaks. This is also why
it's so important to dry your steaks before cooking, as any excess moisture is going to
evaporate, cooking your meat in exactly the wrong kind of way.
Well-seasoned meat is great meat, but sadly the reverse is also true — as under-seasoning
will often ruin a decent cut of steak. Indeed, people often invest so much time in getting
a great pan and a beautiful steak that they forget this crucial part of the whole process.
Denise Spencer-Walker of the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board recommends
seasoning the steak with a little salt up to two hours before cooking, and then she
advises adding pepper just before cooking. She explains:
"Contrary to popular belief, seasoning a steak with salt ahead of time doesn't draw out the
moisture — it actually gives the steak time to absorb the salt and the meat becomes more
evenly seasoned throughout."
Start timing your cooking from the moment the steak hits the pan, and try not to lose
track of how long it's been in there — especially if you're trying to hit a certain level of
doneness. A good rule of thumb, according to Michael Haas, is that a one-inch thick
cut steak should be flipped after one minute and 30 seconds.
After that first flip, Haas recommends throwing in a couple of tablespoons of butter and moving
it around the steak and pan. This is to add extra flavor and help the steak crust along
should you decide to flip it again.
If you're avoiding butter, oil is another good option. In this case, you'll probably
want to have coated both sides of the steaks with a mild oil — such as canola oil. Doing
this will help evenly transfer the heat to the steak during cooking. But try to avoid
putting oil in the pan itself, as it can easily burn. Then, if you want to, you can still
add butter to the pan during cooking, along with garlic cloves of fresh herbs for an even
more flavorful twist.
"It is juicy... and delicious."
Once you set the steak into the pan to sear it, it's important that you don't jiggle the
pan or move the steak — you want it to stay put and just let it cook. And while most people
know they ought to flip the meat at some point, not everyone knows that it can be beneficial
to sear the sides, too. As chef Chris Valdes says:
"Many people forget to cook those sides which usually have a fatty piece that could use
some searing to melt and develop flavor."
It's a simple enough process: Just tilt the steak sideways using tongs and allow it to
cook for about two minutes, or until clearly seared, and then repeat the process on every
side of the meat.
Some people like to season their meat again after it's in the pan, but whether that's
really necessary or not is up for debate. Truth is, if you season the meat properly
at the onset, you probably don't need to season it again. Also, once you sear the meat, it's
very difficult for new seasoning to get past the crust. Then again, it's your dinner, so
do what feels right to you and season accordingly — that's what most chefs do, anyway.
For example, some love adding fresh herbs to the pan during cooking, such as a few sprigs
of fresh thyme or rosemary. This is optional but delicious and can create a luxurious pan
gravy to add to your finished steak. Fresh herbs added at the beginning of the cooking
process may burn before the steak is done, though, so if you go fresh, make sure to throw
them in towards the end.
To build up an even crust on both sides, you'll want to cook the meat for the same amount
of time on each side, and some chefs recommend only turning the steak once. Even if you flip
twice, it's important that you don't over-flip your meat, as it could interrupt the cooking
process and ruin your beautiful sear.
One other thing you'll want to avoid is flipping too soon. The golden rule here? Be patient
and stay patient. Let that steak cook and form a crust on the outside before you flip,
as doing so too early will cool the pan down and cause you no end of problems.
Different chefs tend to have different techniques for cooking to a meat's desired doneness,
or even for checking if a steak is done in the first place. But the easiest method, especially
if you are first starting it out, is probably to invest in a meat thermometer. As chef Kraig
Hansen says:
"Know what the perfect steak looks like for you and know the temperature it needs to be."
Then of course, it's all about your personal preference: Do you like your steak rare? Medium?
Well done? Rare will have an internal temperature of 120 degrees, medium rare is about 140 degrees,
and well-done steak is 160 degrees or higher. But remember: when cooking, always remove
your steak at about the 10 degree mark before your specific temperature, as all steaks will
continue cooking after leaving the pan.
Letting meat rest before eating it is an essential part of the cooking process that is often
missed, for completely understandable reasons — after all, people are hungry and steak
is delicious. But it's hard to understate just how important resting is, and how crucial
it is that it never be skipped.
Resting lets the juices in the meat redistribute evenly, and that translates to a more balanced
and juicy steak. So don't skip out on that super important resting time, no matter how
ravenous you might be — your steak will thank you for it.
"So good."
Kraig Hansen suggests allowing any type of steak to rest at least two minutes prior to
serving or slicing. And it's advised to always rest it on a plate or cutting board, rather
than in the cooking pan, as that would continue cooking the steak and prevent it from actually
resting.
It might be hard to believe, but as important as knowing how to prepare and cook a steak
is, how to cut and serve it is just as important. First, you'll want to make sure to grab a
super sharp knife before you get started. After all, you don't want to ruin your steak
by ripping it, while the ideal knife — and cutting technique — will allow you to cut
through that meat as if it were butter.
Many chefs suggest cutting the steak against the grain, which is almost always the best
way to get truly tender, beautiful slices of meat. And you might want to consider slicing
the steak right up before serving, too. As chef Kraig Hansen says:
"I always prefer to serve steak sliced. It makes it easier for you and your guests to
enjoy without the struggle from a possibly dull steak knife."
If you're serving the steaks unsliced, however, they should be transferred to the plate and
served right away after the resting process has completed. Any of those resting juices
should be poured over the steak or into the accompanying sauce before serving. For an
accompaniment you might want to consider a peppercorn sauce, a Béarnaise sauce, a red
wine sauce or a chimichurri. After that? Bon appetit.
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