Perfectly Pan-Cooked Steak in 3 Simple Steps
You don’t need to shell out big bucks at a restaurant to enjoy a tender, juicy, buttery steak. Follow these three simple steps and shop, season, and sear your grass fed, AAA Ontario antibiotic & hormone free steak to perfection.
Ingredients
- steak(s)
- coarse salt
- black pepper
- olive oil
- butter
- thyme (or other herbs)
- garlic
Instructions
- SHOP for a boneless steak with ample marbling (fat running through the meat makes for a moist and flavourful steak). For this method, we recommend: rib-eye, strip-loin, sirloin, flat-iron, or skirt steak – pick your favourite or stretch your dinner dollars further with whichever one’s on sale in the meat section of our Sweet Deals flyer!
- SEASON liberally with coarse salt and ground black pepper on both sides prior to cooking. Don’t add any other seasoning at this point – save your fresh herbs for the pan. Remember to take your steak out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 30-45 minutes before cooking. Pat it dry with paper towels before seasoning (this ensures a beautiful, crispy exterior).
- SEAR your steak for 60 seconds per side in a smoking hot cast iron skillet. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil just before adding the steaks (the pan should be smoking just a little). Flip your steak every minute or so for a thin and even crust. Once it’s about half done, add some butter, thyme (or other herbs), and smashed garlic to create a hot baste to spoon over your steak until it’s finished. Butter – like marbling within the steak – adds moisture and flavour. Depending on your desired doneness, you can whip out your thermometer at about the 6 minute mark and start probing. When it is done (see the doneness charts, below), slice your steak thinly and against the grain for the tenderest bite and enjoy one of the most satisfying steak-ations of your life.
Notes
| TYPE OF STEAK | TIME TILL MEDIUM RARE | BEST THICKNESS |
| SIRLOIN or RIB-EYE | Approx 6-8 mins | 1 – 1.5” |
| STRIP-LOIN | Approx 5-7 mins | 1” |
| FLAT IRON | Approx 3-5 mins | 0.75 – 1.25” |
| SKIRT | Approx 2-3 mins | 0.25 – 0.5” |
| COOKED | TIME FOR 1.5” | TEMPERATURE |
| RARE | Approx 6 mins | 125℉ |
| MEDIUM RARE | Approx 8 mins | 130℉ |
| MEDIUM | Approx 10 mins | 140℉ |
| WELL DONE | Approx 12 mins | 165℉ |
- Use tongs to flip your steak (a fork will puncture it, and spatulas are too slippery).
- For a really thick Rib-Eye, turn the heat down a bit after searing and cook for a bit longer. A slower and lower pan will ensure all of the marbling gets properly rendered.
- If your steak has a strip of fat on one side, give that side 30-60 seconds straight down in the pan. This will make it crispy and delicious.
- For a Skirt or a thin Flat Iron, turn the pan up a bit higher to make sure the outside gets a nice burn before the inside gets too well done.