Cody Casey
Pan-frying beef is a quick and easy way to cook a juicy and tasty steak. The best technique for an even crust and a deeply flavorful steak includes pre-salting your meat and bathing it in butter. The first step is to pat the steak dry with a paper towel and season it generously with salt and pepper. Then, heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Add oil to the pan, and carefully place the steak in the pan, releasing it away from you to avoid oil splatter. For a thick-cut steak, cook for 5 minutes, then flip and add butter before reducing the heat to medium. For a standard-cut steak, cook for 2-3 minutes before flipping and adding butter. Finally, let the steak rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
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What You'll Learn
Use a neutral oil with a high heat tolerance
When pan-frying beef, it's important to use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil. These oils can withstand high temperatures without smoking and imparting an unpleasant flavour to your food.
To achieve a perfect, deep brown crust on your steak, heat your oil in a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. You'll know the oil is hot enough when it shimmers and moves fluidly in the pan.
Once your oil is hot, carefully place your seasoned steak into the pan. It's important to ensure that your steak is dry before adding it to the pan, as moisture will prevent the meat from browning properly.
Let the steak cook undisturbed for a few minutes to develop a brown crust. Depending on the thickness of your steak, this process will take around 2 to 5 minutes.
After achieving the desired crust, you can flip the steak and add butter to the pan. Baste the steak with the melted butter by tilting the pan and spooning the butter over the meat.
By using a neutral oil with a high smoke point, you can effectively pan-fry your steak, creating a delicious crust while avoiding the smoke and unwanted flavours that come with using an inappropriate oil.
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Pre-salt your meat
Salting your meat before cooking is an important step in the process of pan-frying beef. Salting helps to enhance the flavour and texture of the meat. It is recommended to use kosher salt or sea salt for this purpose.
Firstly, pat your steak dry with a paper towel. This step is crucial as it helps to remove any excess moisture from the surface of the meat, which can prevent the formation of a delicious crust during cooking. After patting the steak dry, season it generously with salt on all sides, making sure to cover the edges as well. You can also add pepper or other seasonings at this stage if desired.
Once the steak is seasoned, it is best to let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour. This step is optional but can help the salt absorb into the meat, enhancing the flavour and texture even further. If you have the time, you can leave it for 45 minutes, and then remove any excess moisture with a paper towel before cooking.
The salt will draw out some of the moisture from the meat, which can help create a crispy exterior when cooked. This technique is known as dry brining and can be a great way to infuse flavour and moisture into the steak.
After the resting period, you can proceed to cook your steak as desired. Remember to use a heavy pan, preferably made of cast iron or stainless steel, and heat it over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Add your choice of oil, such as canola, vegetable, or avocado oil, which has a high smoke point, and then carefully place your steak in the pan.
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Get the pan very hot
To pan-fry beef, it is important to get the pan very hot. This is a critical step in achieving a good crust on the beef. The best pans for pan-searing are stainless steel or cast iron since they can withstand high temperatures. Place the pan over medium-high heat and turn on your exhaust fan to keep the smoke alarm from going off.
The type of oil you use is also important. You'll need a neutral oil with a high heat tolerance, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil. Add the oil to the pan and let it heat up. You'll know it's hot enough when it begins to shimmer and move fluidly around the pan.
Before adding the beef to the pan, make sure it is patted dry with a paper towel. Any moisture on the exterior of the beef must evaporate before the meat begins to brown. Season the beef generously on both sides with salt and pepper. The seasoning will stick to the surface and help create a delicious crust.
Once the pan and oil are very hot, carefully place the beef in the pan, releasing it away from you so the oil doesn't splatter. It should sizzle when it hits the pan. Press the beef down just as it hits the pan to ensure it makes contact with the surface. Leave the beef undisturbed for a few minutes to develop a brown crust.
Now that you have a hot pan, sizzling oil, and seasoned beef, you're well on your way to a delicious pan-fried steak!
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Don't fiddle with the beef while it's searing
When cooking beef, it's important to leave the meat undisturbed for a few minutes to allow a brown crust to form. This process is known as the Maillard Reaction, where heat, sugars, and proteins react to create complex flavours and hues.
The temptation to peek, fiddle, or flip the beef repeatedly should be avoided. The beef will need a few minutes of uninterrupted contact with the pan to develop a brown crust. It will stick to the bottom of the pan at first, but will naturally release when seared. This is an important step in achieving a mouthwatering crust and preventing a chewy texture.
The pan must be scorching hot before the beef is placed in it. A cold or lukewarm pan will not provide enough heat to sear the surface of the meat, resulting in a lack of crust. To test if the pan is hot enough, flick a few drops of water into it. If the water evaporates instantly and sizzles vigorously, the pan is ready.
Once the beef is in the pan, it should be left alone for about 3 minutes or until a golden-brown crust forms. Then, the beef can be flipped and cooked for another 3 minutes or so, until both sides are evenly browned.
It is important to note that searing is not necessary for cooking beef, but it adds depth and complexity of flavour to the dish.
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Rest the meat before slicing
Resting the meat before slicing is a crucial step in the cooking process, which is often overlooked. While it may seem tempting to cut into your steak as soon as it comes off the heat, you must resist! Allowing your steak to rest for at least 5 minutes is ideal, but 3 minutes will also do the trick if you're short on time. During this resting period, the juices that were forced towards the centre of the steak during cooking will redistribute throughout the meat. This process ensures that when you slice into your steak, it will be juicy and flavourful.
The reason this happens is that the muscle fibres in the meat relax and widen as the steak cools slightly, creating a pressure differential that pulls the juices back out from the centre towards the edges. This process results in less liquid in the centre of the steak, so when you cut into it, there will be far less juice spilled onto your cutting board.
If you're concerned about the steak cooling down too much, you can loosely tent it with foil to retain some heat. You can also add a pat of butter on top of or alongside the steak, which will melt into the meat and enhance its flavour.
Additionally, it's important to note that the steak will continue to cook slightly as it rests, so if you're aiming for a specific internal temperature, you should remove it from the heat a few minutes before it reaches that temperature. For example, for a perfect medium-rare steak, you should take it off the heat when it reaches around 115°F (46°C), as it will continue to cook up to your desired temperature of 130-135°F (54-57°C).
In conclusion, resting your meat before slicing is a simple yet essential step to ensure your steak is juicy, flavourful, and cooked to perfection.
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Frequently asked questions
First, pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Then, season the beef generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Turn on your exhaust fan and heat a heavy pan (preferably cast iron or stainless steel) over medium-high heat. Add a neutral oil with a high heat tolerance, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil.
You'll know the oil is hot enough when it begins to shimmer and move fluidly around the pan. Carefully add the beef to the pan, releasing it away from you so the oil doesn't splatter.
Avoid the temptation to flip the beef repeatedly. Leave it undisturbed for a few minutes to develop a brown crust. Flip the beef when it releases easily from the pan and the bottom is a deep brown colour (usually about 3 minutes). Continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes for rare or medium-rare.
During the last minute of cooking, add butter and thyme sprigs to the pan (optional). If serving the beef unsliced, transfer it to plates and serve hot. If you plan to slice the beef, transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, slice thinly against the grain.
