Cooking a juicy, tender, perfect steak doesn’t have to be complicated. The key is to control the heat while cooking and use a thermometer to know when it is actually done. Follow this simple schema and you can have the perfect, juicy, tender, flavorful, just-how-you-like-it steak every time.
Pan Seared Steak with Fresno Chili Butter
- 2-4 ribeye steaks, 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 4-12 cloves of garlic
- 2-4 Tbsp butter
Directions for Pan Seared Steak:
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place a baking rack onto the baking sheet.
- Pat the steaks dry and place them on the baking rack.
- Liberally season both sides of the steaks with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Leave the steaks at room temperature for 1 hour. (This tenderizes the steak and locks in flavors and juices.)
- Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add 1-2 steaks. Sear the steak on one side for 3-5 minutes. (Cook 1-2 steaks at a time to prevent over-crowding the pan.)
- Flip the steak and sear the uncooked side for 3-5 minutes. Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter and 2-3 cloves of garlic while the second side is searing.
- After both sides of the steak are seared, check the temperature to see if you need to continue cooking it. If you want to keep cooking it, cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat to low. (You don’t want to burn the steak, you just want to cook the middle.) Once the steak is covered, check the temperature every minute for doneness. I have seen a steak rise in temperature by 20 degrees in just 1 minute!
- Cook the steaks until they reach the desired internal temperature (see table below).
- Remove from the heat, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve with Fresno Chili Butter and enjoy!
Steak Temperatures
- Rare: 125–130°F (52-54°C) – Cool, red center
- Medium Rare: 130–135°F (54-57°C) – Warm, red center
- Medium: 140–145°F (60-63°C) – Warm, pink center
- Medium Well: 150–155°F (66-68°C) – Faintly pink center
- Well Done: 160°F (71°C) and above – No pink; fully brown
Remove your steak from the heat about 5-10°F below your desired temperature, as the steak will continue to cook while resting.
Directions for Grilled Steak:
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place a baking rack onto the baking sheet.
- Pat the steaks dry and place them on the baking rack.
- Liberally season both sides of the steaks with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Leave the steaks at room temperature for 1 hour. (This tenderizes the steak and locks in flavors and juices.)
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Add the steaks and sear them on each side for 3-5 minutes.
- After both sides of the steak are seared, check the temperature to see if you need to continue cooking it. If you want to keep cooking it, cover the grill with the lid and turn the heat to low. (You don’t want to burn the steak, you just want to cook the middle.) Once the steak is covered, check the temperature every minute for doneness. I have seen a steak rise in temperature by 20 degrees in just 1 minute!
- Cook the steaks until they reach the desired internal temperature (see table above).
- Remove from the heat, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve with Fresno Chili Butter and enjoy!
Fresno Chili Butter
- 1 large handful of parsley
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 Fresno Chili, or 1-2 Tbsp of pickled Fresno Chili’s
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) Kerrygold Salted Butter
- Sea salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Directions for the Fresno Chili Butter:
- Roughly chop the parsley, garlic, and Fresno chili.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Smash and blend everything together until the seasonings are distributed throughout the butter.
- Serve over Pan Seared Steak.
Test Kitchen Notes:
Perfect steak starts with choosing a good steak. My first rule of thumb is to look for a steak that just looks beautiful— red, marbled, a good shape, and a good thickness.
I love a marbled, bone-in ribeye that is one-inch thick, or slightly thicker. Marbling gives you a tender steak and helps prevent the steak from becoming tough or dried out.
The thickness of the steak greatly affects how evenly the steak cooks. If the steak is too thick, the center never cooks while the outside of the steak burns. If the steak is too thin it can curl up, cook too fast, and become tough. Look for that Goldilocks thickness of one to one-and-a-half inch thick.
When cooking the steak, start with a hot pan or grill that is set on medium high. A hot pan or grill will help you get a good sear on the steak. While the steak is searing, resist the urge to move the steak around. Let it sear for a full 3 minutes before moving or checking it.
After both sides of the steak are seared, check the temperature to see if you need to continue cooking it. If you want to keep cooking it, cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat to low. (You don’t want to burn the steak, you just want to cook the middle.) Once the steak is covered, check the temperature every minute for doneness. I have seen a steak rise in temperature by 20 degrees in just 1 minute!
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steak. I usually check the internal temperature after I sear the second side of the steak. Insert the thermometer at a bit of an angle in the center of the steak, making sure not to touch the pan with the tip of the thermometer. (Touching the pan will give you a false temperature that is higher than the internal temperature of your steak.)
Finally, let the steak rest. Covering the steak and letting it to rest will allow the proteins to relax and retain the juices. As it rest it will continue to cook a little and the temperature will rise about 5 degrees. And no— letting the steak rest for 10 minutes will not make the steak cold. Just be sure to cover the steak while it is resting and it will be the perfect warmth for eating.