The Cast Iron Steak
If you only learn one way to cook a steak, make it this one.
Demo recipe. This was written for the DPD demo store and hasn't been tested in a
professional kitchen. Use your own judgment, check ingredients for allergies, and follow current food
safety guidance, such as cooking meat to safe internal temperatures.
A screaming-hot cast iron pan gives you a deep crust, and a little butter at the end does the rest.
Before you start
Buy steaks about 1 to 1.5 inches thick: ribeye, strip or sirloin. Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead, pat them very dry and season well with salt (or our steak rub).
Method
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil.
- Lay the steak in the pan, away from you. Don’t move it for 2 minutes.
- Flip it, and keep flipping every minute or so until it reaches the pull temperature for how you like it (see below).
- Turn the heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 smashed garlic cloves and a few sprigs of thyme. Tilt the pan and spoon the butter over the steak for 1 minute.
- Rest it on a board for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain.
Know when it’s done
Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part. Take the steak off the heat at the pull temperature. It keeps cooking a little while it rests.
| Doneness | Pull at | After resting |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120°F | 125°F |
| Medium-rare | 125°F | 130 to 135°F |
| Medium | 135°F | 140 to 145°F |
| Medium-well | 145°F | 150 to 155°F |
Food safety. The USDA recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to at least 145°F and resting them for 3 minutes. Anything less done than that is a personal choice that carries more risk, especially for young children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system.
From Pass The Steak
This is chapter one of Pass The Steak. The book covers picking a cut, seasoning, the grill, and a temperature chart for every doneness.