You can cook a better (and more forgiving)
steak—but you’ll have to toss out all the rules you’ve learned. Lucky for us, J.
Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats has done the research and can tell
us what works and what doesn’t. He’ll have you salt the steak early, sear it
cold, and flip it constantly—and here’s why.
Common wisdom is to salt steaks just before
cooking, to keep from drawing out their moisture, but López-Alt figured out the
ideal timing for salting (at least 40 minutes to a few days ahead), which gives
you both more insurance against toughness and better-seasoned steak (see more
about how
dry-brining works).
As for taking the steak out of the fridge ahead of
time, which many recipes recommend—don’t bother. Thick steaks can barely shake
off the chill and waiting around for them makes no difference. (And do use
steaks at least 1½ inches/4cm thick and portion them out in slices; thinner ones
are harder to cook evenly.)
You probably learned to flip steak only once to
develop a good, hard sear, but that means you need to know how long each side is
going to take, which takes practice (and steak). In this method, you’ll flip
every 15 seconds or so for a wider-reaching tenderness through the interior,
since each side gets a breather to cool down between flips. An instant read
thermometer will give you more of a guarantee of perfect doneness, but even if
that fails, you have more leeway when flipping frequently. And, as you can see,
getting a handsome sear won’t be a problem.
Serves at least 2
2 bone-in rib-eye, strip, T-bone,
or porterhouse steaks, at least 1½ inches (4cm) thick, about 1 pound (450g)
each
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black
pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil (such
as vegetable or canola)
2 tablespoons butter
A few thyme sprigs and sliced
shallots (optional)
1 Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Season
liberally on all sides (including edges) with salt and pepper. Allow to rest
uncovered for at least 40 minutes and up to 3 days in the refrigerator on a rack
over a rimmed baking sheet. (There is no need to allow the steak to come down to
room temperature before cooking.)
2 Heat the oil in a large stainless steel or cast-iron
skillet over high heat until heavily smoking. Add steaks to the pan and cook,
flipping every 15 to 30 seconds with tongs or a cooking fork, until the internal
temperature reaches 110°F (43°C) for rare or 130°F (55°C) for medium (the steak
will continue to cook for a bit), 6 to 12 minutes depending on its thickness.
Add the butter and aromatics to the pan and continue to cook for an additional 2
minutes, tipping the pan and spooning the sizzling butter over the steak. Remove
the steak from the pan and tent it loosely with foil. Allow to rest for at least
5 minutes before serving.
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