Don't get me wrong...a Rib-Eye is always best when grilled on a charcoal BBQ. However, if you crave a great steak without wanting to go through the motions of getting the charcoal, firing up the Barbie, cleaning the grates, shoveling 10 feet of snow, etc; a great alternative is a cast iron pan. There's also not much preparation involved in terms of marinading. A steak tastes best with just minimal seasoning because you want to taste the flavor of the meat, not cloud it by adding too many spices or drenching it in some store-bought, quick marinade.
Obviously, the cut of meat is equally important. USDA Prime Beef should be the only choice. Occasionally, my local grocers have it on sale and that's when I buy it, albeit the lack of proper aging. But there are ways and steps one can take to age a good cut of meat at home, as described here.
Either way, I prefer Rib-Eye over any other cut with the exception of Filet Mignon because it has the right fat/meat ratio and the flavor is exceptional. The higher fat content also makes for a nice texture of the steak once its cooked.
Here's what is needed to make a great restaurant-style steak at home:
- Heavy cast iron skillet (ribbed or flat)
- USDA Prime Beef Rib Eye steak
- Coarse sea salt
- freshly cracked or ground black pepper
- Olive oil
Another issue I always like to point out is that meat, especially thicker cuts like our Rib-Eye here, should always be cooked at room temperature and never cool or right out of the fridge. It can make the finished steak tough and chewy. So give the meat some time to relax on the counter for about two hours or so.
Once it up to room temperature, heat your oven to 450°F, rub the meat with a liberal amount of olive oil, a generous amount of the coarse sea salt and let it sit for another 30 minutes until you see the little grains of salt beginning to dissolve. You should be able to see a few small liquified drops on top of the surface of the steak.
Now, a lot of cooking experts say you should never season a steak with salt until after the cooking, or perhaps until right before it's being cooked, because salt draws out too much moisture. I beg to differ. The amount that might be lost is rather insignificant within the 30 minute time frame I have mentioned here, so no worries.
The salt is what will give our steak the nicely brown, caramelized crust steakhouses are famous for and that's when the steak is ready for the hot pan. Now is also a good time to sprinkle the meat with freshly cracked or ground black pepper.
Place the steak into the pan and sear for 1-2 minutes on one side without touching it. Then, using tongues, flip the meat over and sear it another 1-2 minutes on the other side - again without touching it. The steak should show nice coloration on both sides before we place it into the oven to finish the steak off.
Put on some oven mitts and place pan and steak on the middle rack in the oven. Be careful when doing so because the pan's scorching hot. Roast the steak for 3-4 minutes for each side until the crust shows a deep caramelized color and the steak is cooked to your desired doneness. I always shoot for 6-8 minutes in the oven for a medium-rare with a juicy, pink center, but ovens differ and yours may take a longer or shorter amount of time. Keep an eye on it.
Once the steak is done, pull it out of the oven immediately, set it on plate and cover loosely with foil. Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut, before cutting into it. This rest will allow the juices to disperse evenly throughout the steak and you won't have any dry 'spots'. Done.
We have just achieved a perfect steakhouse-quality Rib-Eye steak at home!
Serve your steak with your favorite side dishes. In my case, I like quickly-sauteed fresh baby spinach (with a bit of cream, some nutmeg, garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper) and homemade french fries. I also top my steak with one or two thin slices of garlic-herb butter.
Wash it all down with a cold beer, such as a Pilsner or a dark Ale. Enjoy!
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