It doesn't matter what season it is or what I am planning to serve with my steak...
Once I started using a cast iron pan (even on my barbecue), I have always been able to get the same delicious results.
Here is the step-by-step for those who want to take their steaks to a restaurant-quality level...
NOTE: These instructions are for cooking enough steak for 2 for a dinner's main course. You should not crowd the cast-iron pan! If you are cooking for more than 2 people, use more than 1 cast-iron pan or a cast-iron griddle on your stovetop or BBQ.
...and in case you were wondering...
I - personally - prefer a rib steak for the fat-to-meat ratio and I like mine rare...sometimes medium-rare, depending on the beef's quality.
My No-Fail Cast Iron Steak “Method”…
1. Place steaks on a wire rack over a platter or pan. Season both sides of each steak liberally with table salt and allow to air-dry in the fridge for most of the day or even better - overnight. This allows the salt to draw out the moisture from the surface of the beef and create a dry surface to help create a crispy exterior once its cooked.
2. At least one hour (depending on the thickness) before you plan to cook the steaks, remove the pan from the fridge and allow the meat to come to room temperature. If you try to cook the steaks when the interior is still cold, you will end up overcooking the exterior while undercooking the interior...since it will take longer to get to temperature.
3. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and excess salt from the surface. Brush olive oil on both sides of the steaks, season them well with salt again and add freshly-ground pepper to both sides, if you wish.
(Yes, I am aware of how much salt I am suggesting, but the first salting in Step 1 is to remove moisture from the surface of the meat and most of it is wiped away with the paper towel. Trust me!)
4. Heat a clean, dry cast iron pan to the point it is SMOKING HOT and place the steaks in the pan. Do not crowd the pan!
5. Brown and cook on both sides (about 3-4 minutes on each side for RARE, depending on the thickness) only turning the steak over once...no need to keep flipping or turning them.
After a couple of minutes after turning the steaks, start checking for doneness...it will be quick with such a hot pan!
To check for rareness, lightly press on the surface of the steak with your tongs to feel how soft the meat is...a rare steak will feel soft like the part of your hand between your thumb and index finger if you made a very loose fist.
Always take the steaks out of the pan when it is about 90% cooked to how you like it...it will continue to cook a little while resting.
Remember! You can always cook it more, but you can never cook it less.
6. If you wish, just before you take them from the pan, add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan for each steak and baste the steaks quickly with the butter as it bubbles and browns.
7. Remove the steaks from the pan and allow to rest on a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and allow to rest for about 10-15 minutes.
Do not cut into them to peek at their doneness.
Do not get impatient and start to cut into them at all.
Allow them to rest to keep in all that juiciness.
Instead of finishing the steaks with butter, while you are waiting for them to rest...make a quick pan sauce to use up all the brown bits in the pan.
Here is a quick Bordelaise-style pan sauce to impress your guests...
1/4 cup butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp bone marrow (or butter)
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock
salt & pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1. In the same pan, add butter and sauté the shallots. Put them in the pan and stir from time to time until they are soft and starting to turn brown.
2. When the shallots are done, add the red wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping up the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced.
4. Stir in bone marrow to the sauce a little at a time (or butter), mixing so that it melts into the sauce.
5. Cut the meat across the grain into thick slices and arrange them on a plate. Add some chopped parsley to the sauce, then pour little of the sauce over each steak. Serve the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat.
Enjoy!
