Cook Steak in the Oven
This article will show you how to make steaks in an oven. Relatively-thick steaks work best.
Contents
10 Second Summary
1. Preheat your oven to 450° F (232° C).
2. Wipe off excess moisture and season the steak with salt.
3. Sear the steak in a cast iron skillet for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Flip the steak and sear it for 1 to 2 minutes more.
5. Place the skillet into the oven. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
6. Remove the steak from the oven. Test for doneness.
7. Let it rest for 7 to 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
- Steak
- Salt
- Pepper
Steps
Preparing the Steak
- Preheat your oven to 450° F (232° C). You'll want a very hot oven to cook the perfect steak.
- Start off with relatively thick steaks. Steaks that are an inch to an inch and a half thick work best for this method. That's because thicker steaks get more time to develop a wonderful outer crust before the inside is drier than a duck's feather. Pretty much, the thinner the steak, the quicker it becomes as dry and hard as it cooks.
- It's just as easy to buy and eat two big steaks than it is four small steaks. If your steaks are behemoths, don't be afraid to slice them up (after cooking, of course) in order to serve them. Once they taste these steaks, your guests won't care that two pieces started off as one steak. Because taste is king!
- Wipe away any moisture from all sides of the steak. Excess moisture left on steaks will cause them to steam, not sear. Steamed steak doesn't sound too appetizing, does it? Be sure to take a paper towel and wick away any moisture that's present on your steak before committing it to the glorious fire.
- Salt your steak. There are several opinions about how and when to salt your steak. And depending on how you salt your steak, obeying them can be the difference between a really beautiful culinary treat and a tired, dry, excuse for nutrition.
- If you don't have a lot of time on your hands, salt your steak immediately before you place it in the piping hot pan. Why? Because, given time, salt draws moisture from the inside of the steak to the outside. And as noted earlier, moisture on the outside of the steak is not great.
- If you have more than 45 minutes to spare, try salting the steak three quarters of an hour in advance. The salt will draw salt out to the surface of the steak, but after 30 to 40 minutes, the steak will draw back the salted moisture in a process called osmosis. This gives the steak a wonderful taste and, some say, actually tenderizes it.
- Oil a cast iron skillet or other oven-safe pan with a nice coating of neutral oil and begin to heat it on a burner over high heat. Yes, your steak will start off over the burner, but the bulk of the cooking will be done in the oven. This method is used by chefs, cooks and restaurateurs the world over. Try it before you knock it!
- Use a neutral oil such as pine nut or canola oil instead of a pungent oil like olive oil. This helps respect the natural intensity of the steak's flavor.
- You'll know the pan is ready to cook with when the oil starts steaming.
Cooking the Steak
- Pat off any excess moisture from your steak a final time and carefully place it in the cast iron skillet. To avoid any oil splatter, tip the bottom of the pan up slightly by lifting the skillet's handle up in the air. The oil should gather in a small reservoir near the very tip of the pan. Place the steak gingerly inside the pan and lower the skillet's handle back down.
- Adjust the steak with tongs to ensure that it's getting equal coverage on the pan (for a better crust), but don't press down on the steak with your tongs in an attempt to "sear" the steak. The steak will sear perfectly well on its own, given time. Pressing down just robs your steak of more juicy goodness.
- Continue cooking the steak on high for 2-3 minutes. Cook the steak just long enough to develop some nice color (i.e. flavor) on the first side.
- Flip the steak and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes over high heat. You won't need as much time on the second side of the steak because it will continue to develop color (from contact with the bottom of the pan) in the oven.
- Add a little butter to the pan right before you're ready to put the steak into the oven (optional). This step is optional, but a tablespoon or two of butter right before the steak goes into the oven gives the steak a wonderfully rich, nutty taste, along with a richer jus to serve alongside the steak in the end.
- Keeping the steak in the same cast iron skillet, place it in the oven and cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Of course, the time spent in the oven depends on the thickness of the steak (the thicker the steak, the longer cooking time it will require) and your desired level of doneness (after 6 minutes, the steak is probably still medium-rare; after 8 minutes, it's about medium).
- Use a cooking thermometer to exactly time the steak's escape from the oven. A cooking thermometer is your friend. They're cheap, handy, and exact. With a cooking thermometer in hand, your does or under- and overdone inexactitude are over! Just stick the thermometer into the middle of the steak, and voilà! Here's a little temperature chart you can use to tell whether your steak is done.
- 120° F (48.8° C) = Rare
- 130° F (54.4° C) = Medium rare
- 140° F (60° C) = Medium
- 150° F (65.5° C) = Medium well
- 160° F (71.1° C) = Well done
- Be sure to let your steak rest for 7 to 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. As the outer layers of the meat cook, they contract. This sends the juices of the steak further into the center, where they accumulate. If you choose to cut up your steak immediately upon removing it from the oven, the juices will run all over the place because they've been trapped in one place. If, however, you let the steak "rest" for about 8 or 9 minutes after it's done cooking, the outer layers of meat will relax, allowing the remaining juices to travel back into the entire piece of meat. This creates a much juicier piece of steak.
- Rest your steak under a lightly wrapped piece of aluminum foil to help keep it warm while it rejuvenates. Be mindful that the steak will continue to cook during this time.
- Enjoy your perfectly cooked steak. Serve with classic steak fare, such as a roast potato, steamed asparagus, and a Make a Simple Salad on the side.
Tips
- You may need to experiment with temperature in order to get the perfectly cooked steak for your oven. Many ovens run hot or cold, so use your thermometer (and discretion) while cooking.
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