Steak is a real treat that I think everyone should dive into now and then. Juicy, tender, and full of flavor, it is hard to go wrong with a great steak, especially on special occasions or the holidays.

While you could easily spend dozens, if not hundreds of dollars at a steakhouse, knowing how to cook great steak at home can save some money and still provide you with a great night.

That being said, steaks are still expensive, and the odds are good you only have one of them per person, so you might as well know how to cook them right…and also the ways not to cook them right.

Hot Pan, Cold Steak

Ok, here’s the scenario: it’s close to dinnertime, so you pull your cold steak straight from the fridge, get it in the pan, and hope for the best…or are you?

You can’t cook a cold steak. Not only will the steak take longer to cook, but it could come out a bit chewy. You need to let that steak come up to room temperature for at least half an hour to ensure faster, even cooking and a more tender steak.

Unproperly Heated Pan

The same rules for the temperature of your steak also apply to the temperature of your pan.

If your pan isn’t hot enough when you place your steak in, what will happen is the steak will sit there in the warm pan and not develop that deep brown crust that a good steak has to have, but at the same time, if you overheat your pan, the outside of the steak will be charred before it even hits the mid-rare or medium stage.

So your steak will either come out grey and flavorless or burnt on the outside but close to raw in the middle.

You like to move it, move it. You like to…move it!

One of the worst things you can do to a steak is constantly move it around while it’s cooking. I get it, you’re concerned about burning or ruining your beautiful piece of meat, but moving the steak around isn’t going to help you much.

All of that moving is going to disturb that wonderful crust that you’re trying to develop on the steak and, even worse, if your steak isn’t ready to be flipped then it could end up sticking to your pan, so you end up wasting some of your steak.

Rest Now

Finally, even if you cooked your steak to perfection, I see people cut into the steak and start eating it as soon as it gets out of the pan without letting it rest first.

Letting your steak rest is about as important as cooking it properly because if you cut into that piping hot steak, all of the juices in the steak will leech out like squeezing a wet sponge, so your steak will be dry in no time.

You wouldn’t want a steak that’s unevenly cooked, burnt, and dry, would you? Of course not!

Now I’m going to show you the right way to cook a steak. Today, I’ll be working with a beautiful boneless ribeye steak, but these rules can apply to just about any steak that you like, and can afford.

About 30 minutes before you want to cook your steak, take it out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. As stated, a warmer steak will cook faster and more evenly.
When you’re ready to go, fetch a large stainless steel or cast iron pan with a neutral oil and set it over medium-high heat.

Why not nonstick? Well, The way to develop a beautiful crust on your steak is by having it stick to the pan a bit, and nonstick won’t allow that. Trust me, the steak will lift itself from the pan when the crust has been developed. Also, do not use olive oil; the smoke point is simply too low, and you’ll end up smoking up your kitchen in no time flat. Use a high smoke point oil such as canola, vegetable, or grapeseed.
Pat the steak dry with some paper towels, removing the surface moisture will promote even browning, season it all over with salt and pepper, the fattier the steak the more salt it needs, then carefully lay the steak into the hot pan. When laying a steak into a pan, you want to lay it away from you so if any of the hot oil happens to splatter, that oil won’t end up on you.
Leave the steak alone for at least 3 minutes, this is where that essential mahogany brown crust is formed. You’ll also start to notice the edges of the steak start to turn grey, that is a sign that the inside of the steak is starting to cook. When that gets about halfway up the sides of the steak, then it’s time to flip, and you only need to flip once.
Now, we all have our preferences for steak doneness, whether it’s medium rare, medium, or what have you. The best way to ensure your steak is cooked to your liking is by taking it’s temperature. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, usually the middle, and see where it’s at.
For a medium-rare steak, you’ll want to take it to 125-130 degrees F, which might sound low but keep in mind that the steak will continue to climb up in temperature by about 5-10 degrees once it’s out of the pan. If you don’t have a thermometer, then another way to check it is by poking the center of the steak. The softer the steak is, the more rare it is, the firmer it is, the more well it is.
Finally, once your steak is cooked to your liking, you will want to let it rest for at least 5 minutes before either slicing or cutting into it and eating.