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steak cooked2
steak cooked2
Recipes

The Foolproof Way to Cook a Steak

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UCSB chapter.

A steak dinner can be an ostensibly intimidating meal to prepare. We’ve all been to a fancy steakhouse where a simple Rib-Eye or New York Strip can cost more than a full tank of gas. Let’s be real, most of us cannot afford the steakhouse experience on the regular, nor do we want to hassle ourselves with large grills in order to enjoy a savory and juicy steak at home.

Believe it or not, prepping a steak is an effortless task. Steaks can easily be prepared on a pan, seasoned with only salt and pepper. The cut of meat is the star of the meal and therefore, a basic seasoning will help bring out the beefiness that your steak has to offer. My favorite is the New York Strip because it is extremely juicy and tender with a savory beefy flavor that makes it a perfect steak for any night.

Steak

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 15 minutesTotal time: 20 minutesServings:1 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Photo by Lauren Lim

    Pat steak dry on both sides with a paper towel, removing extra moisture that can make the steak tough and chewy while it cooks.

  2. Sit the steak outside the fridge so it becomes room temperature in order for it to cook evenly in the pan. Steaks that are taken right out of the fridge can be too cold for the heat to cook the inside evenly.

  3. Photo by Lauren Lim

    Fire up the pan and get it super hot once the steak is at room temperature. While the pan is heating up, rub the steak with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle salt and pepper.

  4. Photo by Lauren Lim

    Once the pan is blazing hot, place the steak in the pan.

  5. Sear the steak on each side for 3 minutes to get a medium rare – medium steak. If you like your steak well-done, sear the steaks around 3 and a half minutes on each side.

    #SpoonTip: To handle steak, use tongs and avoid using forks or anything with a sharp end, as it can poke holes in the steak and cause the juices to leak out, resulting in a dry steak.

  6. After you are done searing the steaks on both sides, take it out of the pan and let it rest on a plate for 5 to 10 minutes. Don’t get too excited and cut into the steak right away as the steak is still cooking internally. The juices need to have enough time to settle so that they won’t leak out of the steak.

  7. Photo by Lauren Lim

    Once you let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes, you are ready to cut in and enjoy your savory steak!