Steak is among the most popular dishes in America. The average American eats steak more than once a month at home, not to mention steaks eaten at restaurants or barbecues. But commercial marinades tend to be marvels of modern food chemistry, and may contain anything from soy to wheat to fish to corn to sulfites to MSG to nuts to onions. Luckily, making a great steak is more about technique than enhancements. This stovetop and oven recipe requires nothing more than salt, pepper, and some aluminum foil. I like a cast-iron skillet for this, but any pan that can go from stovetop to oven will work.
- Ribeye, strip, T-bone, or Porterhouse steak, 1 to 1.5-inch thick, 4 to 8 oz. per person
- salt and pepper
- unsaturated oil of choice (corn, canola, soy, peanut, safflower, etc.)
- About 20 minutes before cooking, salt steaks lightly on both sides and let sit at room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a cast-iron skillet, or another pan that can go from stovetop to oven, over medium-high heat until quite hot. Add steak to pan and sear until brown (not charred) on both sides, flipping once during cooking, about three minutes per side.
- If you have an instant-read thermometer that can be used in the oven, insert the probe into the center of the steak. Move the pan into the oven. Remove the steak at 125 F for medium-rare, 130 to 135 F for medium, and 140 F for medium-well.
- If you do not have an instant-read thermometer, move the pan into the oven. If you want a medium-rare steak, check the steak for doneness at about four minutes. Check at about five minutes for a medium steak and at about six minutes for a medium-well steak. Return steak to oven, if necessary, to achieve correct doneness, keeping in mind that steak will cook very slightly as it rests.
- Remove steak to a plate and cover with a "tent" of aluminum foil for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Salting the steak before cooking and letting it rest afterwards will help it retain its natural juices. This steak should be delicious without adding any other ingredients. But if you'd like to add flavors beyond salt and pepper, consider making a pan sauce with the drippings, also known as fond, that remain at the bottom of the pan. You can make a good pan sauce in very little time beyond the time that the steak needs to rest, and it's possible to customize such a sauce to your allergy needs by using different liquids. Here's a recipe for a simple red wine pan sauce, which includes a modification for people who cannot or do not wish to cook with wine.
