June 07, 2022

How to cook the perfect steak (every method)

There’s nothing quite like being able to cook a restaurant quality steak from the comfort of your own home. When done right, it truly trumps dining out.

We're spoiled for options as to how to cook our steaks. From broiling to grilling, and everything in between, we’ve highlighted some of the tried and tested cooking methods below.

Regardless of your preferred cooking method, to ensure utmost tenderness of the steak, the cut should be brought to room temperature for 30 minutes prior to the cooking process. Only when the muscle fibers relax is an evenly cooked and juicy steak a possibility.

And very important: Do not forget to let the steak rest after searing! During resting, the internal temperature rises again (if the steak was previously prepared at high heat). Therefore, this must be taken into account if a meat thermometer is used. Thus, if a final temperature of 135 degrees F is desired, the steak should be removed at 120 degrees F.

Pan-fry

Image from CookingLight

Turning to the pan is a great option for those who enjoy cooking with oils, as well as the resulting taste of doing so. The technique involves heating up a cast iron pan to a very high heat on the stovetop. Once it’s reached the desired temperature, the oil should be added in, followed by the seasoned steak. Proceed to cook the steak for a few minutes on each side.

Some choose to take the flavour further by adding in a dollop of butter and handful of herbs to the pan. However, this is an optional step. If you do this, make sure that you lower the temperature (low heat) before so that the butter does not burn.

It’s imperative to be vigilant when pan-frying steak. It’s easy for the steak to surpass the desired temperature, and thus, become more cooked than hoped for, at the expense of its texture.

Once the art of steak surveillance has been mastered, pan-frying is commonly regarded as the easiest and most fuss-free way to cook a steak

Grill

Image from Cozy Cook

Grilling is possibly the most popular way to cook a steak. Not only is gathering around a grill, whether charcoal or gas, an enjoyable social endeavour, many believe grilled steaks to be the most flavoursome of them all. In line with this, many prefer a charcoal grill to a gas grill, due to the additional smoky flavour the steak takes on.

Both of these grilling styles are a conveniently quick way to cook a steak, taking just a matter of minutes. With both of its sides brushed with oil and liberally seasoned with salt and pepper, simply place the steak on a high heat grill for around five minutes. When a golden brown colour is achieved, it should be turned over.

At this point, the remaining time that the steak spends on the grill is determined by one’s personal preferences. A few extra minutes will result in a medium rare steak, whereas an additional 5-8 minutes will guarantee a well done steak.

Sous Vide

Image from Salt Pepper Skillet

Another popular cooking method is sous vide, a french term meaning ‘under vacuum’. It does exactly what it says on the tin.

To sous vide is to vacuum seal and slow cook the steak in low temperature water. The water should have the same temperature as your desired steak (135 degree F for medium rare, our recommendation). The steak should be left in the water bath for 1-3h, depending on the size, after which it should be finished off with a two minute sear.

Admittedly, the sous vide method is not for everybody. It doesn’t suit those who don’t have time on their side, and those seeking an engaging cooking experience tend to deem it a much too passive way to cook.

Nevertheless, for some, the ensuing steak is well worth the wait. Not only is the sous vide near impossible to get wrong (as the water has the same temperature as the steak), the lengthy water submersion ensures that the steak is cooked completely evenly. Plus, the fact that it cooks in its own juices enhances its flavour profoundly.

Reverse Sear

Image from Serious Eats

The reverse sear method consists of heating the steak up in a low-temperature oven environment, before going on to sear it in a hot pan on the stove top.

It’s called the reverse sear because rather unusually, the sear follows the oven, rather than the other way round.

The low temperature of the oven, and thus the substantial amount of time required inside it, enhances the likelihood that the steak will cook evenly. In addition to this, the dry oven environment will slightly dehydrate the steaks outermost surface. Whilst this may sound suboptimal, it means that when it’s time to sear the steak, it will develop a wonderfully delectable crust.

Broil

Image from The Pan Handler

Last but not, is the broiling method. Advocates of broiling steak rave about the flavoursome steak it produces, as well as the sheer simplicity and time friendliness of the method.

The top rack of the oven is regarded as the ideal shelf for broiling. As per usual best practice, the steak should be turned over halfway through the cooking process, and for utmost accuracy, a digital thermometer should be used to check its temperature and determine when it’s ready.

One of the disadvantages of broiling is the unreliability of most ovens. To make a perfect steak, temperature control is a must and often, ovens aren’t quite up to the job. As a result, thicker cuts of steak take the hit and end up unevenly cooked.

Summary

There are several ways to cook steaks, and everyone has differing preferences as to which is most effective. Ultimately, the decision is an entirely subjective one. For instance, if an evenly cooked tender steak is the goal, the sous vide may be the ideal cooking method. On the other hand, if a beautiful crust is the priority, the pan fry or reverse sear may prevail.

Either way, preparation is key! Be sure to maximize the texture and flavour of the steak by resting it at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.