Everyone has their own way of cooking steaks and what’s the best cuts of beef. Here’s my OPINION on the different cuts and cooking-
Filet Mignon- Most tender and most expensive but is lacking on the fatty flavor (that’s why you see it wrapped in bacon).
New York Strip and Rib Eyes- Both cuts are great for grilling or pan searing, sometimes a little pricey but worth the dough. When you have people over for dinner or a BBQ these are the steaks to get.
Porterhouse and T-Bones- Harder to cook because they contain bones and are huge cuts of meat. Some believe that these are the same but there’s a slight difference. They both have New York Strips on one end but the Porterhouse comes form the rear of the short loin so it has a larger cut Filet. Since not too many grocery stores sell this cut wait till you get hungry as hell, go to a good steak restaurant and order a Porterhouse.
Top Sirloin- If you’re a meat lover but looking for an affordable cut of beef this is the way to go. Not as tender as some of the other cuts but very juicy and full of flavor.
Now on to the cooking.
I love steaks cooked on a charcoal grill but I don’t always have access to one. Actually I do always have access to one but going outside (in the car port), taking out the grill, lighting the charcoal and all the clean up afterwards is just too long of a process unless you have guests over or its a nice summer day. The easiest way to cook a steak is to pan sear it and finish it in the oven. It’s a quick and easy process.
First season and make sure your steak isn’t cold and right out of the refrigerator when cooking it. Usually I’ll take the steak out of the frig and let it marinate in room temperature (wrapped in foil) for about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350.
Put a little oil and butter in a pan on high heat
Sear each side for about 2-5 minutes depending on how thick the steak is.
This was about 3 minutes on each side
Put the steak in the preheated oven for about 5-15 minutes depending on the thickness. This was in there for about 8 minutes. If you don’t have a pan you can put in the oven I suggest you get one.
The most important part about cooking a good steak is letting it rest (5-10 minutes). The steak continues cooking and it’ll make it nice and juicy. If you cut into the steak without letting it rest you’ll let the juices bleed out and will end up eating a dry piece of cardboard.
Once it’s done resting slice thin and enjoy!
Like I said, this is my way of cooking steak, if you got a favorite or easy way please let me know!
great blog, love the recipes!
Thanks for checking out the blog, I really appreciate it!
Looks good.
You have an interesting recipe, beginning with high heat pay frying and followed by oven instruction. However, you didn’t include the oven temperature. Was your oven temperature 350F or what?
I’d also suggest that you trim off the fat cap before cooking. Cooked fat tastes nasty and spoils the taste of the lean that touches it. Cooking at high heat means that the fat has no time to improve the flavor of the meat. So I’d recommend removing all visible fat — except only marbling streaks and flecks — before cooking at a high temp.
Joe
Thanks for the comment Joe! I keep the oven at 350 and yes usually I trim off the fat cap before I cook steaks (especially when I serve it to guests) but there’s certain times I like to leave it on and trim after it’s cooked. There’s a juicy, rich, fatty flavor that brings me back to when I was a little kid because that’s how my Mom would prepare it.
In your opinion what’s the best way to cook a steak in the kitchen?
Nice, V.
This is how I prepare my steak at home 9/10 times.
(borrowed from a little article in GQ magazine a couple of years ago)
Use: Cast Iron Skillet
Serves one to two
1 strip steak of the best quality you can afford, 1¼ to 1½ inches thick
kosher salt
cracked black pepper
Directions
1>Take the steak out of the fridge about an hour before cooking and let it come to room temperature. If you have a cookie rack, lay it on that so it doesn’t sit in its own juices.
2>Place a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or till it’s basically smoking.*
3>Thoroughly dry the steak with paper towels. Generously salt it on all sides. Add some pepper.
4>Lay the steak in the pan and cook it, untouched, for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 more minutes for rare to medium-rare. you may also want to prop the steak on its side to sear the fat.
5>Remove the steak from the pan, place on the cookie rack, and let rest for 5 minutes.
6>Serve with a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil, if you’re feeling Italian.
*If you have a vent over your stove, use it. If not, open your windows and front door, turn on a fan, and remove the batteries from your smoke detector. seriously.
I need to get a CIS!!!