Four Ways to Cook Steak

DEEP-FRYING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick strip steaks with paper towels. Fill a large, deep pot with vegetable oil, and heat over medium heat to 375°. (A toothpick dropped in oil will quickly turn dark brown when oil is ready.) Carefully lower steaks, 1 or 2 at a time, into oil. For medium rare, cook until brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove, drain, and season with salt and pepper.

PAN-GRILLING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick sirloin steaks with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly grease a cast-iron grill pan or skillet with vegetable oil, then heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Add steaks. For medium rare, sear 2 minutes per side, then reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes per side. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

OUTDOOR GRILLING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick T-bone steaks with paper towels. Rub with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat gas grill over medium-high heat, or prepare and light coals for a charcoal grill. When grill is very hot, add steaks. For medium rare, cook 10-12 minutes, turning once. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BROILING: This is one technique we don't suggest for home cooks.Broiling may seem like the next best thing to cooking over a flame, but most broilers in the typical home kitchen cannot generate the intense heat needed to sear a steak (restaurant grills and salamanders can reach 800°). Gas stoves usually get hotter than electric ones, but they tend to diffuse the heat, and fat, if not properly drained, can catch on fire.

Techniques

Four Ways to Cook Steak

DEEP-FRYING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick strip steaks with paper towels. Fill a large, deep pot with vegetable oil, and heat over medium heat to 375°. (A toothpick dropped in oil will quickly turn dark brown when oil is ready.) Carefully lower steaks, 1 or 2 at a time, into oil. For medium rare, cook until brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove, drain, and season with salt and pepper.

PAN-GRILLING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick sirloin steaks with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly grease a cast-iron grill pan or skillet with vegetable oil, then heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Add steaks. For medium rare, sear 2 minutes per side, then reduce heat to medium and cook 3 minutes per side. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

OUTDOOR GRILLING: Pat dry 1 1⁄2"-thick T-bone steaks with paper towels. Rub with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat gas grill over medium-high heat, or prepare and light coals for a charcoal grill. When grill is very hot, add steaks. For medium rare, cook 10-12 minutes, turning once. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BROILING: This is one technique we don't suggest for home cooks.Broiling may seem like the next best thing to cooking over a flame, but most broilers in the typical home kitchen cannot generate the intense heat needed to sear a steak (restaurant grills and salamanders can reach 800°). Gas stoves usually get hotter than electric ones, but they tend to diffuse the heat, and fat, if not properly drained, can catch on fire.

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