How to Cook the Perfect Steak on the Stove - Mary Vance, NC (2024)

A really great steak. I would highly recommend the recipe. I parred it with a salad and sauteed yellow squash and onions. A glass of red wine topped it off.

I don’t have a cast iron and compromised. These still came out delicious!!

Yes…. love this recipe. I have used several types of pans and find they all do a good job as long as they can withstand the high heat,

Yes, excellent point. Some pans (like my stainless steel Cuisinarts) will scald under the high heat. I prefer cast iron because it’s sturdy and distributes heat well. Enamel might work well.

Sounds great. I have a steak waiting for me. Sure will try this way of cooking it.

Let us know how it turns out, Laura!

A searing hot skillet? Doesn’t that burn the butter?

Mike: no. But the butter will foam and should be added and melted right before the steak goes in.

Does the chart mean for well done you only cook four minutes?

The timing depends on the thickness of the steak and how well done you want it. The chart lets you know how done it is by how firm it is to the touch.

I’ve been cooking steaks in the cast iron pan for many years. I just put oil on them very lightly, salt and pepper. I do put the heat up as high as I can to get the pan seating hot. 4 mins on a side usually does it, if it’s really thick I cook it 5 mins on one side, 4 on the other. Very rarely do I ever add butter, but when I do, I brush it on the steak after it’s cooked, then cover it immediately with foil and let it rest.
We like this method better than on the bbq grill!

Was wondering what is up with the hand/finger flexes. I’m sure it has something to do with the doneness. Just can’t figure it out. THANKS

Yes, nadia, it’s showing you what the steak will feel like at various stages of doneness using a comparison to your palm.

I marinade my steaks twenty mins before cooking then.i pour Worcestershire sauce, A&1,salt and pepper and I pour a stout beer over them let them Sit for ten mins then flip them and let them Sit and I heat my cast iron ,melt the butter add my steaks and I cook them rare.

Sounds good, many thanks

I tried this recipe and it turned out great. Really enjoyed it.

Before you start running down farmers on how there beef is raised you should know what you are talking about. You obviously do not. Conventional beef as well as conventional dairy products are NOT full of hormones nor antibiotics. These products are the most highly regulated and tested of any of your other grocery items, including organic. A little research instead of assuming you know from google or where ever you get your false information would do you and anyone who should read your BS some good.

I like my steak well done but I can’t seem to get a tender steak ?. Any suggestions?

So what’s with the fingure things to test donest . Not quite sure what it means

Gary, first off, I have nothing against farmers. That’s irrelevant here. I deeply respect farmers and the work they do to provide for us. That’s why I encourage the support of local, organic, small farms.
Aside from that, your comment is incorrect. You have to be living under a rock if you don’t think animals are given hormones so they grow faster, and antibiotics are administered so they don’t get sick from poor living conditions and from being fed a diet that is not biologically appropriate for them. It is true that the USDA does not permit the use of hormones in raising hogs or chickens, turkeys and other fowl, but hormones are still used as growth promoters in cattle and sheep.
Is webmd a good enough resource for you? “Hormones have been used for decades in the meat and dairy industries. Synthetic estrogens and testosterone are the most common. Typically, farmers implant a pellet in a cow’s ear at an early age; it releases hormones throughout the animal’s life.” source: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/safer-food-healthier-you#1
As for antibiotics: “Ranchers and farmers have been feeding antibiotics to the animals we eat since they discovered decades ago that small doses of antibiotics administered daily would make most animals gain as much as 3 percent more weight than they otherwise would. In an industry where profits are measured in pennies per animal, such weight gain was revolutionary.” Scientists are now discovering this is a huge issue with antibiotic resistance. source: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/safe/overview.html
Note that I selected unbiased sources for you rather than the thousands of articles about meat and health from the organic consumers association and countless holistic doctors and health practitioners.

Jeanie, the chart lets you know how done the steak is by how firm it is to the touch using your palm.

Ranji, that’s a tough one. I recommend medium-rare (even rare) meat, because meat cooked until it’s well done contains more potential carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) than meat cooked for a shorter time. This is more true of meat on the grill, however. Regardless, the only way I can think to tenderize it is to marinate it in some kind of acid (citrus or vinegar, for example).

Costco prime ribeye or fillet or wagyu tender and delicious. I use a thermapen meat thermometer guaranteed to cook perfectly! After searing the steak on both sides I put it into the oven 250* for 6-8 minutes.

I’m glad Mary that you put him in his place. I can’t stand a**holes that post negative comments for no good reason.

Thanks david! One has to have a thick skin in the blogosphere 🙂 I’m used to fielding comments like that (unfortunately).

I just pulled out mom’s old cast iron skillet from way in the back. After following you directions for the perfect steak. I am happy to report I’ve had the best steak cooked right on my stove. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

Hi Toni, glad it came out well. Cast iron can last for generations– just be sure to season it and give it some TLC! 🙂

In going to try this tonight! Got my grass fed ribeye ready! I too appreciate your response to Gary the troll! I wanted to respond and educate him as well, but I see you already did. ?

Purchased two thick rib eyes at Walmart. I had planned to throw them on the grill, but a huge rainstorm made me change my plans. I followed your recipe using my cast iron pan. I must say, they were steakhouse worthy in taste and tenderness. High heat may be the secret. In any event,thanks for a great recipe. I may throw my grill out, LOL. (only kidding.).

Nice, Arlene!

Horrible, false comments on how animals are raised!!!! Do your research and visit some farms, your sources as well as your statements are all fabrications. I support people making well informed choices and your statements are complete fraud!

Beth, come on. Do the research. If you dispute these facts, provide some counter proof of your own (good luck finding that). Certainly not all farms, especially smaller, family farms, engage in poor animal husbandry, but the majority of CAFO do. In fact, this recent study was just released: “Nearly 80 percent of meat in U.S. supermarkets contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit environmental research organization.” That means the overuse of antibiotics in the animals we eat is leading to strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that we cannot treat. Why? Because the animals are fed antibiotics that boost growth and prevent disease from the deplorable conditions in which they are raised, and bacteria are evolving to become resistant due to the widespread overuse. Do YOUR research!
source: https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20180628/superbugs-seen-in-majority-of-supermarket-meat

I wanted to read your recipe, but got to your “PSA” and couldn’t read any further. Conventionally raised beef as well as any other meat is not raised in deplorable condition and not pumped full of antibiotics and hormones. You’re a victim of bad information.

I read your comments and you did not need to repost for my benefit. I live where your food is grown and I see what kind of impact these comments about conventional farming practices can do. The truth is every industry has its bad apples. I actually work very closely with organic farmers and see the same problems. In fact the organic industry is full of fraud. Not the wholesome images that you would be lead to believe. The problem with your comments is that your hurting hardworking, honest farm families. I respectfully ask that you give thoughtful consideration to the consequences of your words when you post your next “PSA”.

Ann, the hardworking, honest farm families are exactly whom I suggest we support, as I mention in the post. Buying local, talking to farmers (try a cow or pig share) and from your farmers’ markets is ideal. US Wellness meats is a good option (they use humanely raised animals) for those with low access.
But the objective of this blog is to educate, and I will continue to let people know how their food is raised and encourage buying locally. CAFO operations are harmful to human, animal, and environmental health.

We can both agree that education and sometimes re-education on this topic is important. I’m speaking from the point of the farmer and unfortunately my view doesn’t make headlines. It’s the way we live and the way we raise our families. It’s just not very popular to some who have been told otherwise. I appreciate you reading and responding. I don’t imagine I’ll convince you to broaden your scope of what you believe to be healthy, but hopefully you’ll keep an open mind.

Does anyone else have a problem with smoking out the house when they use their cast iron pan? The food that comes off of the cast iron when I cook with it always comes out great, but I have to sh*t the door to the kitchen and open up every window when I use it. The pans are seasoned so I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong here.
Any tips?

Jackie, it can smoke but shouldn’t excessively. Is your crust browning too much? The steak should only be on for a few minutes regardless. If you’re lucky enough to have a hood over the stove that really helps also 🙂

I follow this recipe and end up smoking out the house. Smoke detectors going off. I prefer to use the grill outside.

Thanks for the recipe. It seems i dont know how to care for cast iron pan. They rust and dont last long under my supervision. Any help on this will be appreciated.

Hi Racet, there are a bunch of good video tutorials out there on how to case for cast iron. It’s more work but worth it. You can buy a Lodge cast iron pan fairly cheaply (I link to one in the post), season it, then use it. After each use wash it out; dry it on the stove; oil it; wipe it down; store it. Here’s a good tutorial: https://www.thekitchn.com/caring-for-cast-iron-259463

Your cast iron skillet method is the perfect way to make a steak. It was taught to me by the executive chef of the Palm Steak House Restaurant in Chicago about 20 years ago. I have used it ever since and that has resulted in me making the best tasting steaks.

Thanks for your comment, Stu!

Hello. I am 67 yo great-grandmother. My great-grandmother, Myrt, taught me to cook steaks this way when I was a girl in the 1950’s. She usually bought “Spencer” steaks, so delicious. I can n o longer find that cut but still use her method. I am teaching my grandchildren this same method. And on it goes…

I love that story, Katherine!! If you take care of your cast iron pans you can pass them down through generations 🙂 Thanks for sharing.

I always read where it says to let things rest for 10 to 15 minutes, etc. Personally, while I like my food nice and hot, I do understand the idea that you don’t want the meat to “bleed out.” I still feel that after that amount of time, it will certainly guarantee cold meat.

Hi Diane, you can certainly keep it in a warm place or return it to the pan after resting to bring it up to the temp you like. When it rests, tent it with foil. You do need to rest it, or when you cut into it you lose the juices that keep it moist.

Try beating the meat before cooking it works wonders

Thanks, Yvonne. I’d always wondered about that!

Your comments on CAFO’s are completely untrue, and is just fear based propaganda. Today’s American farmers rais the most abundant, highest quality, least with expensive foods in the world. The amount of “hormones” and antibiotics that go into the average market beef, throughout it’s life time can fit in a water bottle cap. Stop spreading untruths, talk to your local vets and beef producers, and get informed.

Nathan, I mean, I’m not sure what else I can say about the topic. I’ve presented numerous unbiased sources (including the CDC) discussing the negatives of CAFO operations. I’m certainly not talking about smaller, family farms. But Production has shifted from these family-owned farms to large farms that often have corporate contracts. They have to be regulated but often still pose public health risks. There are detrimental effects associated with pollution and runoff (polluting groundwater), not to mention that any hormones or antibiotic administered ends up in the meat you eat and contributes to antibiotic resistance. And feeding cattle grain, which is not their natural diet, alters the fatty acid content of the meat which makes it higher in inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids. Humanely raised, grass fed beef is a wonderful source of nutrients, but CAFO beef is a both an environmental and health concern, not to mention animal husbandry.

Thank you for the tutorial on how to cook the best steak
I have a grilled cast iron pan and the local meat market here is running a special on steaks
I will most definitely buy and try this way of cooking as I love a good steak thanks again

With regard to the readers’ comments about their homes filling with smoke when cooking steaks, it is not the high cooking temperature that is to blame but, rather, the cut of meat that you use. The fattier cuts such as ribeyes will create the large volume of smoke that was referred to, and those cuts are better suited for cooking outside on the grill. The leaner cuts such as strips and tenderloins are better suited for cooking indoors. I learned this the hard way myself! ?

I tried a similar recipe for pan cooked steaks through my cooking light plan. It also stated use “grass fed” steaks! They are a bit pricy but I followed recipe. Best tasting steak ever! All health discussions aside, it just was the best tasting, most tender steak I have cooked! Hubby and I don’t eat large portions of meat, so I will continue to splurge on grass fed when we have steak.
I will try your recipe next time.

It sounds like the skillet will really be smoking. My apartment smoke detector is loud and sensitive so I would like to hear opinions on that before attempting this delicious sounding recipe. Thanks.

No need to research how cows are treated if you take a trip and just drive cross country on I-40 you actually pass a disgusting area with lots of very sick looking cows being held so close together in such disgusting conditions that it almost makes a meat lover become a vegetarian. That I have seen myself every time I have made a cross country trek, not to mention what I have seen on a very popular company’s pig farm I have been to and have worked for the same company’s chicken factory. I witnessed things when having to fill in at the barns to catch the chickens and put them in cages to send the to the processing plants. So I speak from what I have personally witnessed not online bs or hearsay when I say that the animal cruelty thing is a real problem. It makes you want to hurl when you see it for yourself.

Theresa, yes! Or a drive down the I-5 in California. There’s a CAFO ranch in Coalinga that’s been dubbed “cowschwitz.” It’s pretty devastating and stinks.

Please explain the finger doneness chart in more detail. I am missing something?

I can’t use a cast iron on my glass cooktop, as I get older cooking on the grill in the winter is less appealing (In the past I have cooked on the grill in a blizzard. Will stainless steel work as well. I understand non stick will not work. Please help! My husband is a steak & potatoes man & I enjoy a good steak! Can’t wait to get the best method to make a great meal.

Hey Barbara, you cannot use stainless steel. It just gets too hot and scorches the pan and smokes like crazy. I think an enamel pan may work, but cast iron is really the best option for the heat to get the proper sear. I don’t know a lot about glasstop cookware, but one option would be to sear it in stainless steel briefly on both sides then transfer it to the oven to finish for a few minutes.

I’ve never heard of Kerrygold.

Dan, it’s the best! Grassfed Irish butter. Cultured butter is profoundly delicious also.

I so love steak! This is perfect because sometimes when I cook a steak I sometimes overcook it. Thank you for sharing!

I’m a man 75 years old. from Moncton New Brunswick in Canada. I love my steak so I tried it your way. Used a pan that was given to me by my Grandmother so it is well over 130 years old. WOW what a dinner I had. Garlic mashed potatoes, onions and peppers mushrooms and red wine. Wife’s birthday. Where we are we don’t have to by store meat. Lots of farm food. Raised by good people. Some people will never get their heads out of their butts to see past their nose. You my dear are completely right. Thanks for your input. Love your dog. If it ever needs a good home let me know. AS IF lol. Have a great life and all the best to your family and pets. They give great comfort without compromising.

Thank you for the tips! I will be preparing our lamb for dinner and Ill follow the steps you’ve discussed here.

Cast Iron…… the best cornbread ever!
Tried this… best steak I’ve ever had.

I started to read your articule, and I got so fired up I whipped into the IGA and got 2 steaks, did it exactly as you said and could not believe how it turned out, as good as the best barbequed steak I ever had, and about how animals are raised by the commercial farms is brutal and anyone over 10 years old knows it or they chose to ignore it, keep up the good work your doing and ignore the nasty people out there.

Thanks for making me smile, Don! Glad you enjoyed your steak 😀

I just took a steak cooking class and the executive chef definitely suggested the iron skillet method! He said those are not just for cornbread!! As far as the farming issues, my parents are farmers and raised chickens for over 30 years, they are given special feed (or were many years ago) to grow faster. They were given drugs when they were sick. Who knows exactly what they were because they are provided by the company that you grow for. The hens are sick, therefore the chicks that hatch are sick…it happens people. We also raise beef cattle. Our cows are free range with grass, hay and occasional corn blend feedings. The feed has salts, minerals and things they sometimes are lacking (just like when we take vitamins). Pastures are fertilized for growth, either with chicken poop or a commercial chemicals. So until you have been there, shut up! This nice lady is giving you tips on how to make a good steak. Use it or don’t, but it is right in line with what I just learned myself!

In the UK our cattle up bringing is much better controlled than in US. We do not let our cattle exist in poir conditions but live outside in fresh air. We also can cook good steak because the meat is Excellent and yes, we use cast iron frying pams. Thanks for marinade recipies. Roger

I have a small ranch and I raise horses and mules, I also raise my own beef,I don’t like grass fed beef because that fat is like snot. I feed barly with ten percent corn,like my steak marbled.

Excellent article. There are two things with which I respectfully disagree: first, don’t ever let meat sit out to get to room temperature- it is simply not a safe food handling practice. Second, invest in a reliable digital meat thermometer- the pinch test is not reliable. Every hand is different, as is every steak. Nothing will make your cooking/grilling consistent (and safe) as a good digital thermo.

Katherine Gonzalez
I also love the Spencer steaks. They noe call them Chuck Eye. Hope you can find them. Thy really are good and great cooked like in this article.

HI Greg, agree with the meat thermometer, sure. However, I think Americans in general are way too uptight about leaving meat out. It’s only for a small amount of time. You’re going to cook it, after all, and that kills pathogens if cooked correctly. I also prefer my eggs room temp when bought off a farm (if they’ve been refrigerated you must continue to refrigerate them). But this’ll probably turn out fine either way 🙂

My stage 1 CHF will not allow liberal amount of salt on anything! I have made a pan fried steak with unsalted butter, garlic, onion powder and some Black pepper garlic salt which is low enough in sodium for me.

I agree with most of this recipe.. Butter on High Heat & cast iron will burn Very quickly! I would heat the skillet & put half canola oil (much higher burning point) & when the canola is hot add the butter to melt & heat.. Then add the steaks…
Oh, by the way, you call these “Ribeyes” they are New York Strips!! They are not even first cut from where the NY Strip loin & the Ribeye loin are separated.. Just he truthful on the products you use in your photos & recipes!

Hi Mike, I actually do not identify the pictured steaks by name in this post, so I’m not sure where you’re getting that. All I specify is to use strip or ribeyes in the directions. Also, I do not recommend canola ever. It’s a highly processed vegetable oil that is high in inflammatory omega 6 fats. Saturated fats (like butter, coconut oil that are solid at room temp) have double bonds of fatty acids that do not break down under high heat. Canola is monounsaturated and not as stable as a saturated fat (meaning its bonds break down and it turns rancid and unstable at high heat).

As an owner of a CAFO beef feedlot, I would like to let you know that your information is incorrect and we can proudly say that is not what our facility is like at all!! We feed our cattle corn from our field, potato waste from our local potato chip factory, fruits and vegetables from a company that gathers fruits and vegetables that are past sale date from Walmart and hay from our fields. We do not administer any hormones or growth additives. It is so unfortunate that individuals like you listen to the rhetoric of organizations that have ulterior motives and none that include your benefit. Please do not place us all in your ill-informed nonsense and check your sources to see where they originate from. Are there facilities that have bad practices…of course as with any business but the majority of us are hard-working, farm families that want the best thing for your family as we do our own!!!

Camille, thank you for your comment and for weighing in. I can certainly hope that what you describe will become the norm and that the tides are changing. It really sounds like you care for your cattle, and you’re right, there certainly are operations that do not (I have visited them). Your comment actually prompted me to do further research, and I discovered the FDA did ban antibiotics for use in livestock to promote growth. I will update this post with that info (this post was written in 2016). however, hormones are still used and approved: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/product-safety-information/steroid-hormone-implants-used-growth-food-producing-animals

I put cast iron pan on my grill with top down when temp. is high enough i put steak in skillet been doing this for years no smoke in house and no stove to clean no flare ups on grill

GAWD, nothing worse than hens pecking one another.
Mary’s warnings about animal meat are correct. The lady is just trying to pass on information. This is Trump’s world now. TORA,TORA, TORA, attack, lie, accuse, counter attack…..frightening, Isn’t it?

Mary I am retired and didn’t start really cooking until I moved in with my son – daughter in law & 2 grandkids. I was hesitant to make STEAK… but found your recipe inviting to try. WELL, my steaks were thin cut ribeyes and we loved it‼️ my 11 yr old granddaughter wanted a second one. Thank you from San Antonio!

Cattle in this country spend about 85% of their lives on grass, from birth to the point where they are finished for harvest by being fed some mixture that sometimes contains corn. So, when people use the term “grass fed beef” they are only using a feel good marketing term for their own ignorant satisfaction. All beef is grass fed.

💥 This recipe or maybe it was the History lesson before the recipe but I Pan fry Steaks and OMG nothing is as complicated as you made it seem to be, I pan fry for about 3-4 minutes on both sides, simple

Berthy, perhaps you haven’t noticed but this is a nutrition blog. Therefore, nutrition information is given about the food you’re eating in the recipe. Secondly, consider that some people have perhaps never before cooked a steak, or never before cooked a steak on the stove, and they actually step-by-step need directions. That’s the point of a recipe. But I really appreciate you taking the time to drop in with your feedback.

Very, nice chart, i like it very rare as well, room temp inside. It can always go back on the grill if too rare but if overcooked there is not much you can do about it. This is especially inportant if you are dealing with meats that are not so easy the get ahold of such as backstraps, hearts etc

Going to make strip steals today for my sister and I, wish me luck. Oh BTW you really gave Mike the what for, good for you.

If you let the steak rest for 10 min, wouldn’t the steak be cold to eat?

Read this recipe yesterday,had them for dinner tonight,they were very good and juicy, thanks for your recipe.