Pan-fried Beef Steak

Name: Pan-fried Beef Steak
Ingredients: A cut of steak (see notes); Rock salt or coarse sea salt; Peppercorns; Olive oil or other oil of choice

Cooking a great steak entirely depends on preparation and choice of meat. Here is a simple recipe for pan-frying and broiling a steak.

Ingredients

A cut of steak (see notes)
Rock salt or coarse sea salt
Peppercorns
Olive oil or other oil of choice

Steps

The frying phase can result in quite a bit of smokiness, so plan ahead by opening windows or otherwise ventilating the kitchen.
Bring the steak to room temperature.
Rinse the meat with cold water and dry it with a paper towel.
Coat it very lightly with olive oil.
Grind the salt and peppercorns into a small bowl (use your judgement as to how much to use), mix them together, and rub this onto the meat, coating both sides. The more salt and pepper you use, the more crust will be formed once cooked. However, you may also cover up the natural flavor of the beef.
Preheat an oven to as high a temperature as the desired skillet will be able to withstand. For example, the average plastic-handled aluminum grill pan will only survive up to around 160° C (300° F), but a cast iron pan can go higher.
Heat the skillet on the stove over medium to medium-high heat until it is evenly heated (the higher temperature will finish cooking the outside more quickly, allowing a pinker center). Test the temperature by flicking a few drops of water onto the pan—they should sizzle.
Place the oiled steak onto the pan, and let sear for about 2–3 minutes. The meat should sizzle when it hits the pan.
Flip the meat over, and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
Place the entire pan in the preheated oven. Roast for 2–4 minutes.
Remove the steak promptly from the oven, put it on a plate, and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. This ensures more even cooking as the cooler interior continues to heat, and it allows the juices inside the steak to re-distribute through the meat.
Serve with red wine and a starch such as potatoes, rice, or bread.

More recipes with beef

Adapted from “Pan-fried Beef Steak” in the Wikibooks Cookbook by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Reformatted for this site; this page's recipe text is shared under the same license.

Steps

The frying phase can result in quite a bit of smokiness, so plan ahead by opening windows or otherwise ventilating the kitchen.

Bring the steak to room temperature.

Rinse the meat with cold water and dry it with a paper towel.

Coat it very lightly with olive oil.

Grind the salt and peppercorns into a small bowl (use your judgement as to how much to use), mix them together, and rub this onto the meat, coating both sides. The more salt and pepper you use, the more crust will be formed once cooked. However, you may also cover up the natural flavor of the beef.

Preheat an oven to as high a temperature as the desired skillet will be able to withstand. For example, the average plastic-handled aluminum grill pan will only survive up to around 160° C (300° F), but a cast iron pan can go higher.

Heat the skillet on the stove over medium to medium-high heat until it is evenly heated (the higher temperature will finish cooking the outside more quickly, allowing a pinker center). Test the temperature by flicking a few drops of water onto the pan—they should sizzle.

Place the oiled steak onto the pan, and let sear for about 2–3 minutes. The meat should sizzle when it hits the pan.

Flip the meat over, and cook for another 2–3 minutes.

Place the entire pan in the preheated oven. Roast for 2–4 minutes.

Remove the steak promptly from the oven, put it on a plate, and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. This ensures more even cooking as the cooler interior continues to heat, and it allows the juices inside the steak to re-distribute through the meat.

Serve with red wine and a starch such as potatoes, rice, or bread.

More recipes with beef

Adapted from “Pan-fried Beef Steak” in the Wikibooks Cookbook by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Reformatted for this site; this page's recipe text is shared under the same license.