How to Make The Perfect Steak

February 28, 2007 by Micki

Because of the recent popularity of this post, I am re-posting it for easier reading.

For the longest time, I always believed that steak was better eaten when dining out than at home. The secret in restaurants is high heat cooking. You see, restaurant ovens and stoves can generate higher temperatures than your home ovens and stoves.

Of course, you can Broil. This does get the high heat, but always seemed to come out too burned on the outside and too raw on the inside.

So, what I have here is the way to make the perfect steak. This one assumes making steak for 2 people. See “How Not to Screw it Up” for tips on more.

Please, anyone who has been to our house and eaten our steaks, please feel free to comment on this post. Are these not just like the best steakhouses?

Ingredients

2 Filet Mignon or New York Steaks
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
1 very small pat of butter

(Yes, folks that is really all you need. Trust me. Anything else just takes away from the flavor of a good steak.)

Directions

Place your steaks out on the counter 20 minutes before cooking them. This gives them some time to shed refrigerator temperatures and come closer to room temperature. (Don’t worry, we’re cooking them on 500 degrees for sufficient time to kill any bacteria.)
Place a skillet in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. When the oven reaches 500 degrees, leave it for about 10 minutes. This lets the skillet really soak in the heat.
Remove the skillet to the stove top on high heat. Sear the steaks for 30 seconds on each side. This creates a brown crust.
Move the steaks (pan and all) into the 500 degree oven. Roast for 2 minutes. Set a timer. This is an exact science.
After 2 minutes, flip the steaks, and roast for 2 more minutes.
Remove from the oven, cover the pan with foil for 2 minutes. The steaks continue to cook, but come to a rolling stop on rising temperature.
Serve with the very littlest pat of butter on the top of each.

This cooks the steaks to a perfect medium rare assuming that you have a steak that is 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick.

How Not to Screw it Up

Steaks can vary in thickness, you may not like medium rare, all of these things contribute to how long you need to cook. The ABOSLUTE best way to determine if your steaks are perfect inside is to get a remote meat thermometer. That is, a thermometer that puts the probe into the meat, but allows you to have a display that is outside of the oven. Like this one at Cooking.com.
If you are cooking with an electric stove top, make sure the burner is already heated to high before moving the pan from the oven. You don’t want to lose any heat.
I’ve found this method optimal for 2 steaks in a pan (3 if they are filet mignon). Any more than that, and you are crowding them out. If you are making more and need to work in batches, heat two pans when you preheat the oven. Leave one in while you start the first steaks. Complete the first ones through to the aluminum foil step before starting the next. If you make the steaks that need to be more well done first, they will continue cooking on the heat of the first pan while you finish off the second (and still be warm to serve). However, I strongly recommend that you use a digital meat thermometer to monitor the temperature.
Later today or tomorrow, I’ll add a post on cooking temperatures for beef, so that you all can know what temp to cook to for rare, medium rare, medium, etc.

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Posted in Beef & Veal, Cooking Tips & Tricks | 21 Comments

21 Responses

on May 6, 2006 at 10:03 am The Jan and Micki Show » Blog Archive » Cooking Beef to the Right “Doneness”

[...] How to Make The Perfect Steak [...]
on June 29, 2006 at 8:32 am Anonymous
on September 30, 2006 at 4:35 pm Lele

Thank you so much! I love filet mignon, but the ones I cook at home have never come close to the ones I eat at my favorite steak restaurants – until now. The sear-roasting method really does work perfectly.
on January 3, 2007 at 5:37 am Cooking Beef to the Right “Doneness” « sf foodie

[...] Posted by Micki under Cooking Tips & Tricks In the post “How To Make the Perfect Steak“, we cooked your steaks to a perfect medium-rare. What is medium-rare, exactly? What if you [...]
on March 3, 2007 at 5:41 pm Joyce

Your technique is intriquing — could you tell me what kind of skillet you suggest? Thanks.
on March 3, 2007 at 10:20 pm Micki

I would suggest using cast iron. If you don’t have that, I’ve also done steaks successfully this way in a 10″ all-clad as well as the same size calphalon. Those hold the heat the best (aside from cast iron).
on July 23, 2007 at 8:52 am umeed

recipie sounds great, i did not try it yet.let,s see,if it comes out really nice ,i will be realy very thank ful to you.
but how long i have to merinate it .And if it is from refrigrator
on January 4, 2008 at 1:06 pm Theo

Yes, I too agree with cast iron skillet it is what I use all the time. Your technique is spot on, I use the same method and I have made my parents, brothers, friends, and my girlfriend cry with delight on how good the steaks were. A $20 no frills 8 – 12″ cast iron is the best–and cleaning is a breeze!
on July 4, 2008 at 1:47 pm John

Thanks for the recipe! Found it in a search and cooked this for my girlfriend’s birthday. Only bad thing is she discovered that I can apparently cook (thanks to your recipe), and now she wants this every week, lol
on July 11, 2008 at 3:00 pm Peter D

I just finished putting the steak in my stomach and sending it off to steak heaven after I made it similar to what was posted in the original post.
The steak came out PERFECT!! I’ve never made a steak in the oven before, always on the grill, and I will definitely make one in the oven again. Thanks for the great tip.

Happy eating.
on October 26, 2008 at 4:42 pm Nina

I just finished the steak I made with your recipe above. It was so good and delicious I couldn’t believe it. Keep up the good work.
on October 29, 2008 at 4:18 pm nesha

I just tried this recipe and we loved it. The steaks where so juicy

Thank you
on January 8, 2009 at 4:16 pm Lisa

Thanks for the tips I have marinated a sirloin overnight and I pray not to screw it up (which I usually do), will post later how it comes out…this was very helpful thanks!
on January 8, 2009 at 5:29 pm Lisa

IT CAME OUT PERFECT! OMG! THANKS U U ARE THE BEST!
on January 18, 2009 at 4:57 pm Nancy

I’ve destroyed a few filets in the past, even on the grill, so I wanted to get a recipe that would keep this steak juicy, tender and delicious. Two words for the recipe: Awe Some! Thanks, I’ll definitely do it again.
on March 15, 2009 at 5:52 pm Joe

Uh…where’s that salt and pepper come in then? Before or after cooking?
on April 6, 2009 at 1:42 pm Samantha

Turned out great!!
My steaks were i think a little more thin- so they were cooks to about medium instead of medium rare.
but they were wonderful..
very easy
on April 18, 2009 at 12:25 pm sarah

Holy goodness. What a wonderful way to cook a steak. I used ribeye and I have a recipe for a perfect rub that sears beautifully using this cooking method. 3tbsp. brown sugar; 2tbsp. kosher salt; 1tsp cayenne pepper; 1tsp. garlic powder. Rub really well on both sides of steak, seal in plastic wrap or gallon ziploc and refrigerate for 2-3 days. Let rest to room temp then get down to it! The most delicious steaks I’ve EVER had. THANKS!!
on April 25, 2009 at 6:09 pm Chris

Just tried this and works well for two 1.5″ filets. Pinch of salt and pepper prior to cooking and a SMALL pat of butter prior to serving worked great. Anyone tried bacon wrapping their steaks prior to doing this? I’ll give it a shot.
on July 27, 2009 at 8:52 pm Boci

Came out amazing, Thanks a lot!!!
on August 5, 2009 at 8:32 am crystal

what about the salt and pepper? do you use it just to taste b4 consuming?