A perfectly cooked steak is something to be appreciated. Charred and crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, you only need to know a few secrets to be able to pull it off.
Choosing the correct cut of meat is the most important thing to remember. If you buy a chuck roast, that will be a really leathery and dry piece of meat that will give your jaws a good workout. Nope. Look for ribeye, strip steak, porterhouse, filet mignon, etc. These are great cuts of meat for a steak. Secondly, you need to cook the steak on a high temperature, get a great sear on the outside and use a thermometer to check the inside temperature.
To get a great char on the steaks, you can achieve that by cooking them on the grill or using a good quality skillet, either cast iron or something like my stainless steel All Clad Skillet.
My problem is that I live in an apartment and the grill isn’t always available or the pool is too crowded and I’d rather stay home. Cooking the steak in a skillet will give you great results but if you live in a tiny apartment where the exhaust fan isn’t really doing anything except moving the air around the area of the stove, and making your living room look really smoky, you may be searching for an alternative.
I was very intrigued by this recipe when I read it in The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook. I have to admit, I was skeptical, but thought it would be a worth trying it out. Broiling steaks? It sounded like an interesting idea. I was ready to try anything to solve the smoky house problem and spraying myself with tiny little oil droplets while I stood next to the stove flipping the steaks.
Yes, folks, this is a wonderful method. If you don’t have the convenience of a grill in your backyard or an exhaust fan that works properly, try this out.
Ingredients:
4-6 steaks , 1 1/2 – 2 inches, strip or ribeye
salt, pepper
2 cups salt, to line the bottom of the baking sheet
Flavored Butter – Lemon Herb:
1 stick (8 Tablespoons butter) softened
1 small shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
lemon zest and juice from 1 small lemon
salt, pepper
It’s very important to buy steaks that are as thick as you can find them, 1 1/2 -2 inches thick. Since the meat needs a little of time to sear on the outside, the steaks should be thick enough that they won’t be as dry as leather by the time the steaks get a little color.
Trim the steaks from any gristle and fat. Dry them on a paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside for at least 3o minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, make the flavored butter, by combining all the ingredients together, shaping them into a log and refrigerating.
Flavored butter is such an incredible addition to the steak. This is my favorite combination of aromatics. As the butter melts and seeps into the meat, you will wonder how such a burst of flavor is even possible. It is SO delicious.
Preheat the oven on broil. Set the oven rack to be right below the broiling unit or the one right below it. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread out 2 cups of salt on the bottom of the baking sheet. Set a rack on top of the layer of salt and place the steaks on top of the rack. The steaks should not be touching the salt.
This is such a brilliant idea. The salt lines the bottom of the pan and catches the drippings from the steaks and conveniently soaks them all up and prevents all those drippings from smoking up your oven as the steaks cook at such a high temperature.
Broil for 2-4 minutes, flip the steak over and broil for another 2-4 minutes. Continue broiling for 2-4 minutes per side, until the meat is 125 degrees on an instant read thermometer for a medium rare steak, 130 degrees for medium well, and 140 for well done.
Let the steaks rest for at least 5 -10 minutes. Top the steaks with flavored butter.
Broiled Steaks
Save Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
20 mins
Author: Olga’s Flavor Factory
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
4-6 steaks , 1½ – 2 inches, strip or ribeye
salt, pepper
2 cups salt, to line the bottom of the baking sheet
Flavored Butter – Lemon Herb:
1 stick (8 Tablespoons butter) softened
1 small shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
lemon zest and juice from 1 small lemon
salt, pepper
Instructions
Trim the steaks from any gristle and fat. Dry them on a paper towel.
Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, make the flavored butter, by combining all the ingredients together, shaping them into a log and refrigerating.
Preheat the oven on broil. Set the oven rack to be right below the broiling unit or the one right below it.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread out 2 cups of salt on the bottom of the baking sheet. Set a rack on top of the layer of salt and place the steaks on top of the rack. The steaks should not be touching the salt.
Broil for 2-4 minutes, flip the steak over and broil for another 2-4 minutes.
Continue broiling for 2-4 minutes per side, until the meat is 125 degrees on an instant read thermometer for a medium rare steak, 130 degrees for medium well, and 140 for well done.
Let the steaks rest for at least 5 -10 minutes. Top the steaks with flavored butter.
3.1.09