Congratulations, you’ve already done something amazing for yourself.
Out of all of the steaks you could have selected for your meal, you’ve selected a rib-eye steak. Because butchers cut rib-eye steaks from an especially wondrous portion of the cow, you’re in for a real meat treat. Rib-eye is tender and rich; deeply savoury and powerfully satisfying. Now that you’re in possession of an incredible cut—a cut with so much potential—how do you honour it in all its glory?
READ MORE: 7 Ways to Cook a Better Steak According to Top Steakhouse Chefs
The good news is that the best way to cook a rib eye steak is also the easiest way. You don’t need any complex cooking contraptions. You don’t need any special ingredients beyond what you already have in your pantry. And, in all honesty, you don’t even need that much skill in the kitchen.
All you need is a pan, three ingredients (well, beyond the rib eye, that is), and a careful eye.
Step 1: Get a pan really, really hot.
Dig out a cast-iron pan large enough to fit the steak (or steaks), plus a little extra room. Put that pan over a burner set to high. And, while you’re at it, turn on your stove’s exhaust fan and open a few windows. You may even want to temporarily disable your closest fire detector, too, and, no, I’m not kidding.
Step 2: Season aggressively.
Break out the Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and clobber that steak on both sides with more of each than you think you need. Some of the seasoning will fall off in the pan when you cook the steak, but the rest will help form the incredible crust you’re used at steakhouses.
READ MORE: One-Pan Steak Recipe for a Quick and Delicious Dinner
Step 3: Flip aggressively.
When your pan is good and hot (you’ll see wisps of smoke beginning to rise from its surface), add 1 Tbsp of canola oil, swirl to coat, and add the steak. The rib eye will sizzle. It’ll smoke. It may send forth a few spatters of oil. Stick with it and, standing by with tongs, flip the steak every minute to help its crust develop, for a total of 6 minutes for medium rare.
Step 4: Rest.
You and the steak. Transfer the steak to a plate and let it sit there. This helps the juices in the steak recirculate through the meat, resulting in an all-around more wonderful steak-eating experience. All you have to do is wait about 5 minutes, then slice, scattering some more salt atop the insides of the slices, and serve.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat a large cast-iron pan over high heat.
- Season the steak generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add 15 ml oil to the pan, swirl to coat, add the steak and cook, flipping every minute, for about 6 minutes total for medium-rare.
- Transfer to a board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
This article by Paul Kita was originally published on Men’s Health US
