The short answer: dry the steak, heat the empty pan until a drop of water skates across it, add a little oil, then sear without moving it for two to three minutes a side. It will stick at first and release on its own once a crust has formed. Finish with butter, rest it for five minutes, and use the brown bits in the pan for a sauce.
You will need
- A steak about 2.5cm thick (sirloin, ribeye or rump), out of the fridge for 30 minutes
- Coarse salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp oil with a high smoke point (groundnut, sunflower, rapeseed)
- A knob of butter, 2 garlic cloves, a sprig of thyme or rosemary
- A heavy stainless steel frying pan, 26cm for one or two steaks
Method
1. Dry and season
Pat the steak completely dry with kitchen paper. Moisture is the enemy of a crust. Salt it generously. Better still, salt it the day before and leave it uncovered in the fridge: how to dry brine steak.
2. Preheat the pan
Put the empty pan on a medium-high heat for three minutes. Flick in a few drops of water. If they ball up and skate around, it is ready; if they sizzle and vanish, wait another minute.
3. Sear
Add the oil, let it shimmer, then lay the steak in, away from you. Do not touch it. After two to three minutes it will release from the pan by itself with a deep brown crust. Turn it once and cook the other side for the same time. Hold it on its side with tongs for a minute to render the fat.
4. Baste
Turn the heat to medium, add the butter, crushed garlic and herbs. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steak for 30 seconds to a minute.
5. Rest
Lift it onto a warm plate or board and rest it for five minutes. It keeps cooking and the juices settle.
How done is done
| Doneness | Take it out at | After resting |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 47°C | about 50°C |
| Medium rare | 52°C | about 55°C |
| Medium | 57°C | about 60°C |
| Medium well | 62°C | about 65°C |
For a 2.5cm steak, two to three minutes a side gives medium rare. Thicker than 4cm? Sear both sides, then finish in a 200°C oven in the same pan.
The two-minute pan sauce
While the steak rests, pour off most of the fat. Add a splash of red wine, brandy or stock to the hot pan and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Let it bubble until syrupy, take it off the heat and swirl in a knob of cold butter. Pour over the steak.
Why stainless steel
A stainless steel pan takes high heat, builds a better crust than non-stick and leaves the brown bits that make the sauce. Tri-ply construction, with aluminium bonded between layers of steel and running up the sides, spreads the heat so the whole steak sears evenly. The Season Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Frying Pan (from £50) is oven safe to 240°C for thick cuts and goes in the dishwasher afterwards. Slice on a board with a sharp knife, such as the Season S4 Chef's Knife, across the grain. More on the choice: stainless steel or non-stick?
Questions people ask
Why does my steak stick to the stainless steel pan? The pan was not hot enough, the steak was wet, or you moved it too early. Wait for it to release.
Should I oil the steak or the pan? The pan, once it is hot. A thin film is enough.
Butter or oil for steak? Oil to sear, because butter burns at high heat; butter at the end for flavour.
How do I clean the pan after? Deglaze it for a sauce, or pour in hot water while it is warm and the residue lifts. Stubborn marks: how to clean a steel frying pan.
From the cooks at Season, a London cookshop since 2005. Cook like it matters.