Cook a 2cm-thick piece of steak for 2-3 minutes each side for rare, 4 minutes each side for medium, and 5-6 minutes each side for well-done. Turn the steak only once, otherwise it will dry out. Always use tongs to handle steak as they won't pierce the meat, allowing the juices to escape.
During cooking, aim to cook your steak medium-rare to medium – any more and you'll be left with a tough piece of meat. Turning it every minute or so will make sure you get a really even cook. After cooking, leave it to rest and rub with a little extra virgin olive oil or butter for an incredible, juicy steak.
The number one spot goes to grilling, the classic method for cooking your steak. While great grilling isn't quite as precise as sous-vide, it leads to the best, purest-tasting steaks out of non-sous vide methods. This is because grilling uses the steak's natural fats and juices for flavor.
The Chef's Way of Cooking A Steak
Just let it go. Once your steak is on your pan, let it sear and simmer down. It is very tempting to constantly check it and/or flip it – but don't. This is how a nice dark char is formed, and this is the correct pathway to your chef's steak.
Most chefs regard beef cooked to medium-rare — with an internal temperature of 130-135F (55-57C) — as the best way to bring out flavour and retain moisture in tender cuts such as rib eye and top loin. Unlike rare, medium-rare allows time for the outside to caramelise and develop a sear.
Like lots of other foods, steak needs time to relax, as do the fibers within it. While the meat cooks, its fibers shrink, emitting moisture and making the steak juicy. Cutting into the meat right away will cause that hard-earned moisture to spill out onto the plate, leaving a drier, less flavorful dinner.
But don't press down on them while cooking. Pat: Aluminum foil keeps some of the heat in, but don't wrap it tightly or you will lose the crust. I would cover any steak that is over 1 1/2-inches thick. Anything less thick could overcook the steak during resting, especially if the foil is tightly wrapped.
Grill Temp for Steaks
The best grill temperature to grill a steak is high heat (450-550 degrees F.).
Probing also helps you know the meat temperature to avoid overcooking. Another benefit that has been associated with poking holes in raw meat is that it helps tenderize the meat. The piercings allow heat to penetrate deeper when cooking, cutting down on the cooking time and making the meat tender.
Starting the steaks in a “cold” (not preheated) skillet set over high heat prevents the meat directly below the surface from overcooking and turning gray. Flipping the steaks every 2 minutes as they cook allows a rich crust to build up gradually without overcooking the interior.
Butter is ideal for continually basting a steak and lends itself perfectly to some cuts and for those who like to be there tenderly managing the cooking. Being there and continually basting means the butter is less likely to burn and mar the flavour.
Cook to Your Desired Level of Doneness
To cook your steak to medium or medium-rare, set the skillet over medium-high heat. To cook the steak to medium or well-done, start at medium-high for the first few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking to your desired doneness.
Steaks should always be cooked on high temperatures to sear the outside and trap the juices and flavor inside. Steaks should almost always be cooked on a grill or in a pan on high heat: all cooking guidelines below are for one-inch thick steaks. Rest your steak for five minutes under aluminum foil before eating.
If you salt your steak and let the meat absorb the salt for less than 10 minutes, the salt starts to pull out juices from the meat through the process of osmosis but doesn't have time to reabsorb them. This will cause your steak to lose moisture and you'll have trouble achieving that perfectly crispy, desired crust.
When cooking steak you need to oil the steak itself to ensure that perfect outer texture once cooked, and of course so it doesn't stick. Place your steak on a plate and drizzle the steak with oil on both sides, massaging in a little to cover all areas.
Steak and olive oil
Like butter, olive oil has a distinct taste and low smoke point. It also offers immense moisture and character depending on what kind of oil you buy. Even modestly priced olive oil can give flavour to a steak and if you like that flavour, this is definitely the way to go.
Pan-searing is the best way to cook a steak, and it's also the easiest!
Brush each side with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Place the steaks on a hot grill and sear for 4-6 minutes, rotating 90° once to create criss-cross grill marks. For a rare or medium finish, turn the steak over and finish cooking to the right temperature.
Adding butter to steak adds extra richness and can also soften the charred exterior, making a steak more tender.
A hot skillet delivers the best sear. Add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan (enough to coat the bottom). Immediately place your steaks in the hot skillet and sear them for 1 minute on each side.
The oven is a much gentler form of heat, cooking the meat evenly on all sides and allowing you to control the temperature more easily. Since cooking happens more slowly in the oven, there's also less risk of overcooking and burning your dinner!
Take your steak out of the fridge about 20 minutes before grilling to bring it to room temperature. A freezing-cold steak won't cook evenly.