Fast, easy, and delicious method for cooking a steak on your stove. No grill needed.
HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT STEAK ON THE STOVE
First off, choose the right steak for the job. The cut of meat you choose affects the flavor of your finished product. Choose a ribeye or strip steak, at least 1 inch thick (ideally 1.5″) for the tastiest cut that works best for this recipe. Strip steaks work ok too. Tenderloin (filet mignon, for example) is extremely tender but lower in fat, so many people find it lower in flavor.
You’ll see the following labels when selecting a steak at the store:
Natural: means basically nothing. Any producer can call a steak ‘natural.’ Not a regulated term.
Naturally raised: free of hormones and antibiotics.
Organic: certified organic and fed organic feed. Antibiotic and hormone free. Stricter enforcement for humane treatment, and cows must have access to pasture.
Grass Fed: must, at some point, have been raised on a diet of grass. Does not necessarily mean 100% grass fed; many are grain finished.
Choose a well marbled and fresh organic, or at least naturally raised, cut. If you have a local butcher, he/she can help you select the ideal cut for your preference.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
2 one pound (or less) grass fed strip steaks or ribeyes, roughly 1.5″ thick (I prefer ribeye).
plenty of Kerrygold butter. Do NOT use vegetable oil, which breaks down and becomes rancid under high heat because it is mono or polyunsaturated. Saturated fats hold up well under higher heat (the molecular bonds won’t break).
herbs that suit you. I recommend tarragon and thyme especially. Tarragon is so good on steak and makes an excellent chimichurri.
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a cast iron skillet of some kind. I use a Lodge but the enamel cast irons are nice, too. Or use a cast iron grill pan. Every chef needs cast iron. I don’t make the rules.
DIRECTIONS
Remove steaks from the fridge and let them come to room temp for about an hour. They’ll cook more evenly and develop a better crust (there is debate about this, but it’s what I do). Meantime, get your herbs ready–pick and chop. I made a compound butter to top the finished steaks by whipping together salted Kerrygold with chopped thyme, then roll in a log in plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can cut off coins to melt over the steaks. Super yum. You can google and get a ton of compound butter recipes and methods. Slice off rounds as needed to apply to steak or veggies (good on mashed potatoes, too).
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