Name: Pan-Seared Steak
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 23 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 x 300 g thick-cut steak; 2 tsp coarse salt; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 cloves garlic; 2 sprigs thyme or rosemary; to finish flaky salt

2 x 300 g

1 Dry thoroughly and salt on all sides 5m Salt now if searing now — or 8 hours ahead. Never 10 minutes before.

2 Sear hard, turning every 30 seconds, to 52°C / 125°F 6m Frequent turning cooks more evenly than one flip, whatever tradition says.

3 Baste with the butter, tilting the pan, 60 seconds 2m Butter last. Added early, the milk solids burn long before the steak is done.

4 Rest 8 minutes on a warm plate, then slice across the grain 8m Resting is not optional. Cut immediately and the juice ends up on the board.

2 tsp

1 tbsp

2 tbsp

2 cloves

2 sprigs

to finish

The numbers

Pull temperatures, allowing for about 3 °C of carryover while resting:

Rare — 48 °C / 118 °F
Medium rare — 52 °C / 125 °F
Medium — 57 °C / 135 °F
Anything beyond that is a braise that has not been told yet.

Thickness matters more than weight. Under 3 cm you cannot brown the outside without overcooking the middle, so buy one thick steak for two people rather than two thin ones.

Notes

Searing does not “seal in juices” — that was disproved decades ago. It browns, which is a flavour argument, not a moisture one.
Turn often. It halves the temperature gradient through the steak.
Slice across the grain. It shortens the muscle fibres and does more for tenderness than the grade of the meat.

Method

Dry thoroughly and salt on all sides

Sear hard, turning every 30 seconds, to 52°C / 125°F

Baste with the butter, tilting the pan, 60 seconds

Rest 8 minutes on a warm plate, then slice across the grain

The numbers

Notes