There are a million ways to cook “the perfect steak”—everyone swears by their own method for searing, cooking, checking for how “cooked” it is. I know all about the timing of it (so many minutes per side for this or that temperature for however many inches of thickness), all about comparing the steak’s tactile feel and springiness to various parts of your palm, all about it all. But I have to say my foolproof way for knowing how well cooked my steak is on the inside is a very simple one: a digital thermometer.
Now, you can’t go making Swiss cheese out of the steak, poking and prodding it all over throughout its entire cooking time, but, rather once you think its close to done, or getting close to done, then gently poke into it. So, yes, this does mean you have to get a sixth-sense feel of how cooked it is, just a rough idea, so that when you poke the thermometer into the meat it doesn’t read right at the temperature you want it or, worse yet, past that. You want to take the steak off or out of the heat before it hits your desired internal temp and rest it on a plate, lined with foil and then tightly covered with more foil, for about 5 – 10 minutes. I should also mention that I think it helps to have it on a surface that isn’t a great conductor of heat (i.e. a wood surface, versus metal or stone/granite/etc.). This way the heat stays in your steak and not on your counter top. I take mine out pretty early, about 10° shy of just where I want it, because I don’t mind my steak a bit underdone—in fact, I prefer it. I think 7° – 5° under is probably appropriate.
One very simple way to prepare a steak, and for this example lets say we’re using a steak that’s a lengthier cut (like New York strip), about 1” thick and around 12 ounces—a big one, enough to serve 2 very well—starts with seasoning it liberally with salt, set it on a wire rack placed over a sheet pan and leave it uncovered. It should either sit at room temperature this way for about an hour, or in the fridge for up to around 8 (just be sure it comes to room temperature for an hour still).
When the time is right, put a cast iron pan in the oven and set it to 450°, leaving the pan in there for around 30 minutes once it comes to temp to ensure even heating with no cold spots. Once it’s ready, heat it over medium-high heat on the stove to get it screaming hot—it may seem excessive but it’s all a surefire way to get the best sear you can. Smear your steak with just enough regular olive oil (or vegetable) to coat it, and carefully lay the meat into the screaming hot skillet. Give it just 3 minutes on the first side before you flip it over, immediately put a tablespoon of butter on top (with or without a sprig each of thyme, rosemary, sage and a smashed clove of garlic, underneath the butter) and immediately transfer it to the still heated 450° oven. It just needs about 4 – 5 minutes in there (start checking your temp at around the 4 minute mark or pre-insert a probe thermometer before it goes in the pan—it should read 125°, give or take a degree). This will get you right where you need to be for medium-rare. If I’m cooking one for just myself I’ll do it to about 122° or a little less—for the doneness that, as I remember Nigella Lawson saying in one of her shows, is “nothing a good vet couldn’t turn around”. Obviously, if you like your meat a little more done it will take a little more time but be careful—the temperature increases pretty rapidly at this point. Move it to a foil-lined plate, cover tightly with more foil and wait the painstaking 5 minutes for it to rest before scraping off the herbs, if you want, and diving on in.
But don’t feel limited to that specific steak; thinner or thicker, bone-in or boneless, this or that cut—they can all yield a perfect steak. Even a humble shoulder steak is divinely pleasurable with as a punch Pizzaiola. With a thinner cut you can probably forgo putting the steak in the oven for the last side—for anything ½” or less, to sear it is to cook it—so I’d got hard and fast, searing it in a screaming hot pan, throwing some butter in (with the herbs and garlic over the steak if you’re using them) and baste the steak with the sizzling hot fat once it’s flipped. Anything bone-in is going to take longer; if it’s thinner make sure to get a good sear on each side and move to a lower oven, allowing the bone to conduct the proper amount of heat needed to cook the beef around it. If you’re going BIG (cuz you ain’t goin’ home!) and you’ve got a 2-inch-or-more bone-in monster, I’d go with the reverse sear method (outlined here in my Roast Beast with Black Garlic Demi-Glacé) otherwise you risk the inside being totally raw, with an outwardly gradient to a totally overcooked brown-grey. And when you have a very thick cut of beef that’s on the fattier side—think one of those giant Fred Flintstone-sized ribeyes—it’s a good idea to cook it to medium-rare so the fat has a chance to soften, while a leaner cut, like tenderloin/filet mignon, needn’t be cooked more than rare if you like, as there’s no fat that needs softening.
I know some might say that a good steak needs no accompaniments—that is, any sauces, flourishes, and, to some, even butter are neither necessary nor welcome—and it’s not an unwarranted belief. But just because it doesn’t need it doesn’t mean it can’t handle it. I like to add a bit more flavor and fun to the steak, but not so much that you can’t taste the beef itself anymore. Nothing to finicky, with so many ingredients and pungent spices that if you closed your eyes you wouldn’t know that you were eating a steak. Which leads me to the classic Steak Béarnaise—nothing but salt and some fat for the steak, and a simple sauce that’s rich with fat and punctured by little accents of fresh tarragon. It’s perfect, it’s classic, it’s sexy, and it’s simple enough to make that you won’t loose your mind in the process.
It might seem a little passé to post a recipe for something that some may consider basic, but frankly a good béarnaise, as with so many classics, transcends that—they become classics for a reason, you know. A mix of minced shallots and dried tarragon get simmered in champagne vinegar and either white wine (or champagne)—the former for its acid and sprightliness, and the latter for a greater depth of flavor. Dried tarragon is ideal for the simmering because when the fresh stuff is cooked for too long it takes on a muddy, mildewy taste that can ruin the whole thing; instead, flavor the base with the dried herb and stir in freshly minced tarragon at the end for optimal freshness (you can, however, put a few stems from the fresh tarragon in vinegar-wine pan in addition to the dried herbs).
The traditional method is to stir the strained, reduced vinegar-wine mix into egg yolks, set it over a double boiler, and whisk in cubes of butter, letting them melt in the residual heat, emulsifying into the base as it does. It can turn out fabulously… or it can get too thick, too thin, or separate all together—point is, its results can be inconsistent. The method outlined below is foolproof; put the yolks and reduction in a blender (or more preferred, a short and wide mason jar and use an immersion blender), blend for about 10 seconds on high to aerate a little and then, with the blender running, stream in melted butter, finishing it off with fresh tarragon and a bit of lemon juice as usual (the additional of chervil is also part of the classic preparation, but it’s only necessary if you can get your hands on some easily).
With this flawless, elegant, and downright easy sauce and a perfectly cooked steak you and one other very lucky person will be extremely satisfied. Throw a pricked and pierced russet in the oven when the cast iron goes in and by the time the steak and béarnaise is done you’ll have the perfect side (well, it’s easier than fries).
INTERNAL TEMPERATURE GUIDE—there are no real regulated, official standards that define temperatures for different levels of doneness for beef*. It’s all a matter of preference and opinion. These are mine:
Blue……………………. 105 – 110° (remove at 100°-105° and rest for 5 minutes)
Rare………………………. 125° (remove at 120° and rest for 5 minutes)
Medium-Rare………. 130°-135° (I usually remove at 125° and rest for 5 minutes)
Medium……………….. 135°-140° (I usually remove at 130° and rest for 5 minutes)
Medium-Well……….. 140°-145° (remove at 140° and rest for 5 minutes)
Well Done…………….. 155° (remove at 150° and rest for 5 minutes or not – its shoe leather anyway)
*That is, except the USDA and FSIS. The USDA and FSIS specify that for beef (as well as pork, veal and lamb) the safe minimum internal temperature is 145° with 3 minutes of resting (per their online chart, dated 5/19/14). No mention is made to the different levels of doneness.
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 2 | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 10 - 15 minutes | 30 minutes, at least |
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Steak Béarnaise is a decadent indulgence, and you won't believe how easy it is to make. You and one other very lucky person will be extremely satisfied.
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- 2 steaks about 6-ounces each, boneless, 1/2" thick (cut per preference--see recipe notes)
- 1 t-spoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 heaping tablespoon butter
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or prosecco vinegar (or white wine vinegar in a pinch)
- 3 tablespoons white wine or champagne, or extra dry white vermouth
- 1/2 t-spoon dried tarragon
- 1 shallot finely minced
- 1 heaping t-spoon minced fresh tarragon (stems reserved—optional)
- 1/3 cup butter melted (5 tablespoons plus 1 t-spoon)
- 1 t-spoon lemon juice
- 1/2 t-spoon kosher salt
- The béarnaise sauce is simple enough to make: stir the vinegar, champagne or wine, minced shallot, dried tarragon (and tarragon stems, if you’re using them), and salt in small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid reduces down to about 1 tablespoon—roughly 3 - 5 minutes.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, and into either a blender or short, but wide mason jar (that an immersion blender will fit into). Slide the egg yolks into the blender and blend on high speed for about 10 seconds (or stick the immersion blender in the jar and let it rip for 10 seconds, plunging it up and down a bit as you go).
- Cut the butter up into cubes and melt in a small saucepan over medium heat until it's bubbly not, but not browning in the least.
- Blend the yolks on high for a few more seconds and then, with the blender still running, stream the butter in (plunging the immersion blender up and down a bit). Once it's smooth, thick, and perfectly emulsified, stir in the fresh minced tarragon and lemon juice. Check it for seasoning and add more salt as need.
- When it comes to the steak, I think something a little thicker is needed—1/2" minimum. What's important here isn't necessarily the cut of beef itself but, rather, the thickness and whether or not it has a bone (see recipe note for more on that). When I make this, what I typically do is salt the beef and let it come to room temperature for about an hour on a wire rack set over a sheet tray. I put a cast iron pan in the oven, set it to 450° and leave it in there for 30 minutes once it comes to temp. I start the béarnaise, stopping just before melting the butter. Smear the steak in oil, heat the cast iron on the stove over medium-high for about 5 minutes and then slap the meat in the pan to sear it. This is when I start to melt the butter. If the steak is 1" thick, I flip it over and immediately top it with a pad of butter and slide into the oven; if it's less than 1" I usually just cook the whole thing on the stove (see recipe notes below). Either way, during all this is when I emulsify the butter into the egg yolks, and stir in the tarragon and lemon. By the time the steak is finished resting, the sauce is done (and, if you throw a russet potato in the oven when the pan goes in and you keep everything in there a bit longer, you'll have a good starchy side, too),
- The béarnaise should be fairly warm when served, but you can make it a bit in advance—I would say no more than an hour. Just leave it, covered, on the counter (away from the stove so the heat doesn't cause it to separate). When you're ready, splash in boiling hot water (2 - 3 t-spoons max) and blend again.
- The steak pictured here is a strip steak (aka New York strip, Kansas City strip, or sirloin strip steak). They are sometimes marked as "Boneless T-Bone" or "Boneless Porterhouse", the strip being on one side of the bone, tenderloin on the other. The difference between a real T-Bone and Porterhouse is that the latter has a larger portion of tenderloin attached and comes from the rear end of the short loin; T-bones have less tenderloin, being cut from the front of the loin. Point is, when you're shopping, be sure to check the prices—odds are "boneless T-bone", "boneless porterhouse" and "New York strip" are the same cut of meat so be sure to get the best price. Gotta admire the marketing there.
- Heating the cast iron in the oven first ensures even heat throughout the pan so, by getting it screaming hot on the stove afterwards, guarantees you a good, hard sear on the steaks. Feel free to skip moving the steak to the oven once flipped if your steak is less than 1" thick—just throw the butter in the pan and baste the meat with it a bit.
- Don't get too hung up on the exact cut and thickness of beef; if you can't find a thinner strip steak as in the recipe, roll with the punches. The timing depends on the cut of meat, its thickness, and whether or not it has a bone in. For a New York strip (boneless) that's, let say, about 1" thick I'd figure 3 - 4 minutes on the stove and another 4 - 5 in the oven; something bone-in is going to take longer and should probably be in a slightly lower oven (400° - 425°).
If you're going for broke and doing an extravagant 2" thick T-bone, I'd go with the reverse sear method, similar to the one outlined here, adjusting the timing obviously.
BEEF INTERNAL TEMPERATURES—these are my guidelines
Blue……………………. 105 – 110° (remove at 100°-105° and rest for 5 minutes)
Rare………................... 125° (remove at 120° and rest for 5 minutes)
Medium-Rare………. 130°-135° (I usually remove at 125° and rest for 5 minutes)
Medium……………….. 135°-140° (I usually remove at 130° and rest for 5 minutes)
Medium-Well……….. 140°-145° (remove at 140° and rest for 5 minutes)
Well Done…………….. 155° (remove at 150° and rest for 5 minutes or not – its shoe leather anyway)