Steak in the Pan
Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 1
Chapter 2 · Steak in the Pan
Skill goal
Cook a steak to the doneness you want with a good crust.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A good steak is built on a brown crust and a centre cooked to the right temperature. The crust comes from a very hot pan and a dry surface, because water must evaporate before browning starts. The centre depends on thickness and on taking the steak off at the right moment, because it keeps cooking as it rests. A thermometer takes the guesswork out.
The method
- Dry the steak and season it. Water on the surface makes steam, not a crust.
- Heat the pan until very hot before the steak goes in. Use a heavy pan and an oil with a high smoke point.
- Leave it alone: don't move the steak until the first side has a crust.
- Take it off early: remove it about 3 to 5°C before your target temperature.
- Rest for about 5 minutes, then slice across the grain.
| Doneness | Centre temperature (approximate) | Colour | Feel (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | About 50°C | Red, cool middle | Very soft |
| Medium-rare | About 55°C | Red-pink, warm | Soft, springy |
| Medium | About 60°C | Pink, hot | Firmer, springy |
| Medium-well | About 65°C | A hint of pink | Firm |
| Well done | 70°C and over | Brown all through | Very firm |
Hot pans, rare beef and thermometers
Hot pan and hot fat: fat spits and the pan gets very hot. Dry the steak well first, lay it in away from you, use tongs rather than your fingers, keep the handle turned in and stay with the pan. If fat catches fire, never use water: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp cloth. Open a window or use the extractor fan, because searing makes smoke, and keep children out of the kitchen.Whole cuts and mince: germs sit on the outside of a whole piece of beef (a steak or a joint), and searing the surface deals with them, which is why a steak can be served rare. Mince, burgers, sausages and rolled or tenderised joints can have germs all the way through, so they must be cooked right through (no pink, juices running clear, about 71°C in the centre). Rare beef is not recommended for very young children, older people or anyone with a weakened immune system, and the advice for pregnancy depends on the cut, so check current NHS and FSA guidance.
Thermometer: a digital probe thermometer is the best way to know when beef is ready. Push the tip into the middle of the thickest part, away from bone, and clean it with hot soapy water between uses. The temperatures in this course are approximate and can vary with the cut and the oven, so treat them as a guide and take a reading a little early.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Pan-fried sirloin
The classic steak: a very hot pan, a brown crust and a pink middle, finished with garlic and thyme butter. Everything depends on a hot, dry pan and a dry steak.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 2 sirloin steaks, about 250 g and 2.5 cm thick
- 1 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 25 g butter
- 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed with the skin on
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 pinch flaked sea salt and black pepper
- Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead, pat them very dry and season well with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat a heavy pan over a high heat for 2 minutes, add the oil and lay in the steaks away from you. Don't move them for 2 minutes, then turn and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the butter, garlic and thyme and tilt the pan, spooning the foaming butter over the steaks for a minute. Take the steaks off at about 52 to 54°C for medium-rare, rest for 5 minutes and slice across the grain.
Hot pan, thermometer and resting
Hot pan and hot fat: fat spits and the pan gets very hot. Dry the steak well first, lay it in away from you, use tongs rather than your fingers, keep the handle turned in and stay with the pan. If fat catches fire, never use water: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp cloth. Open a window or use the extractor fan, because searing makes smoke, and keep children out of the kitchen.Thermometer: a digital probe thermometer is the best way to know when beef is ready. Push the tip into the middle of the thickest part, away from bone, and clean it with hot soapy water between uses. The temperatures in this course are approximate and can vary with the cut and the oven, so treat them as a guide and take a reading a little early.
Resting: after cooking, leave the beef on a warm plate or board, loosely covered with foil, for about 5 minutes for a steak and 20 to 30 minutes for a joint. The juices settle, so they stay in the meat instead of running onto the board, and the centre rises a few degrees as it rests.
Level 1 · Thin and fast
A quick thin steak
Skirt and flank are cheaper than sirloin and full of flavour, but they have long, coarse fibres. They must be cooked fast and sliced very thinly across the grain, or they are tough.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 400 g skirt or flank steak, in one or two pieces
- 1 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 pinch flaked sea salt and black pepper
- 1 lemon or lime, cut into wedges
- Pat the steak dry and rub it with the oil, paprika, salt and pepper. If it is long, cut it into pieces that fit your pan.
- Heat a heavy pan until it is smoking hot (open a window) and sear the steak for 1 to 2 minutes a side. Thin steak is done as soon as it is browned: don't go on.
- Rest for 5 minutes, then look at the lines in the meat and slice thinly across them, at a slant. Serve with lemon or lime wedges.
Smoke, hot pan and slicing
Hot pan and hot fat: fat spits and the pan gets very hot. Dry the steak well first, lay it in away from you, use tongs rather than your fingers, keep the handle turned in and stay with the pan. If fat catches fire, never use water: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp cloth. Open a window or use the extractor fan, because searing makes smoke, and keep children out of the kitchen.Knife safety: slice and carve on a stable board (a damp cloth underneath stops it sliding) with a sharp knife, because a blunt knife slips. Keep your guiding fingertips tucked back, and let the knife do the work. A carving fork or tongs holds the joint steady.
On a budget: the tender cuts (fillet, ribeye, sirloin) are the dearest. Rump, flank, skirt and onglet cost less and have more flavour if you slice them thinly across the grain, and tough cuts (chuck, shin, brisket) are cheapest of all when you cook them slowly.
Level 2 · Thick steak
A thick steak finished in the oven
A thick steak can burn on the outside before the middle is warm. Sear it on the hob for the crust, then finish it in a hot oven so the heat reaches the centre without charring it.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 2 ribeye steaks, about 300 g and 3.5 cm thick
- 1 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 30 g butter
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 pinch flaked sea salt and black pepper
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Pat the steaks dry and season them. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat, add the oil and sear the steaks for 2 minutes a side, then add the butter and rosemary and baste for 30 seconds.
- Put the pan in the oven for 4 to 6 minutes for medium-rare. Check with a thermometer: take it out at about 52 to 54°C.
- Lift the steaks onto a warm plate, rest for 5 minutes, and slice or serve whole with the buttery juices.
Hot handle, hot oven and thickness
Hot oven and hot tins: use oven gloves, open the door away from your face, and put hot tins on a heatproof surface. A roasting tin of hot fat is heavy and hot, so never carry it across a busy kitchen, and keep children out of the way.Hot pan handle: an ovenproof pan's handle stays hot long after it comes out of the oven. Put a cloth or an oven glove over it as a reminder, and never grab it with bare hands.
Thickness: steaks vary in thickness more than in weight, so go by thickness, not by the clock. A steak about 2 cm thick needs very different timing to one 4 cm thick, and the timings in this course are only a starting point.
Level 3 · Reverse sear
A reverse-sear thick steak
The reverse sear is the opposite of normal: warm the steak slowly in a low oven first, so it cooks evenly from edge to edge, then give it a hot, fast sear at the end for the crust. It gives a pink centre with very little grey band.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 600 g thick steak (sirloin or rump), about 4 cm thick
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
- 1 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 20 g butter
- 1 pinch black pepper
- Heat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan). Salt the steak, put it on a rack over a tray and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until the centre reads about 45°C for medium-rare.
- Heat a heavy pan until smoking, add the oil and sear the steak for 1 minute a side (and on its edges), adding the butter for the last 30 seconds. The centre will rise to about 52 to 54°C.
- Rest for 5 minutes and slice across the grain.
Low oven, searing and thermometer
Hot pan and hot fat: fat spits and the pan gets very hot. Dry the steak well first, lay it in away from you, use tongs rather than your fingers, keep the handle turned in and stay with the pan. If fat catches fire, never use water: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp cloth. Open a window or use the extractor fan, because searing makes smoke, and keep children out of the kitchen.Thermometer: a digital probe thermometer is the best way to know when beef is ready. Push the tip into the middle of the thickest part, away from bone, and clean it with hot soapy water between uses. The temperatures in this course are approximate and can vary with the cut and the oven, so treat them as a guide and take a reading a little early.
Hot oven and hot tins: use oven gloves, open the door away from your face, and put hot tins on a heatproof surface. A roasting tin of hot fat is heavy and hot, so never carry it across a busy kitchen, and keep children out of the way.
Experiments
Experiment
Pan heat
Medium or very hot.
- Cook one steak in a medium-hot pan and another in a very hot pan, for the same time.
Look for: The steak in the hotter pan has a darker, crisper crust and a thinner grey band. The cooler pan gives a pale, steamed surface and a thicker grey band.
Experiment
Basting with butter
With and without.
- Cook two steaks, adding butter and herbs to one for the last minute and basting it, and leaving the other plain.
Look for: The basted steak has a richer flavour and a deeper colour. Butter burns if it goes in too early, so add it at the end.
Experiment
Resting time
None, 5 and 15 minutes.
- Cook three steaks the same way and slice one at once, one after 5 minutes and one after 15 minutes.
Look for: The unrested steak leaks juice onto the board and eats drier; the rested ones keep their juice. Fifteen minutes may be a little cool, so 5 to 10 is best for a steak.
Experiment
Touch test or thermometer
Check your fingers.
- Press the steak with a fingertip as it cooks, note how it feels, then check with a thermometer and cut one open.
Look for: Touch is a useful guide once you have practised, but a thermometer is exact. Write down how each doneness feels to your finger.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan-fried sirloin | ||||
| Quick thin steak | ||||
| Thick steak finished in the oven | ||||
| Reverse-sear steak | ||||
| Pan heat | ||||
| Basting with butter | ||||
| Resting time | ||||
| Touch test or thermometer |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Grey, no crust | Wet steak or pan not hot | Pat dry; heat the pan longer; don't crowd it |
| Burnt outside, raw inside | Steak too thick for the heat | Sear, then finish in the oven (or reverse sear) |
| Tough steak | Overcooked or sliced along the grain | Take it off earlier; slice across the grain |
| Smoky kitchen | Oil that burns, or pan too hot for too long | Use a high smoke point oil; open a window; add butter at the end |
| Steak sticks to the pan | Turned too soon | Wait until it lifts easily and has a crust |
| Juices run onto the board | Not rested | Rest for 5 minutes before slicing |
Hot pans, rare beef and leftovers
Hot pan and hot fat: fat spits and the pan gets very hot. Dry the steak well first, lay it in away from you, use tongs rather than your fingers, keep the handle turned in and stay with the pan. If fat catches fire, never use water: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp cloth. Open a window or use the extractor fan, because searing makes smoke, and keep children out of the kitchen.Whole cuts and mince: germs sit on the outside of a whole piece of beef (a steak or a joint), and searing the surface deals with them, which is why a steak can be served rare. Mince, burgers, sausages and rolled or tenderised joints can have germs all the way through, so they must be cooked right through (no pink, juices running clear, about 71°C in the centre). Rare beef is not recommended for very young children, older people or anyone with a weakened immune system, and the advice for pregnancy depends on the cut, so check current NHS and FSA guidance.
Leftovers: cool cooked beef quickly (within about 1 to 2 hours), cover it and keep it in the fridge for up to about 2 days (general guidance). Reheat until it is steaming hot all the way through, and reheat it only once. Don't leave cooked beef standing at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can dry and season a steak and heat the pan properly.
- I know the temperatures for rare, medium-rare and medium.
- I can finish a thick steak in the oven.
- I rest a steak and slice it across the grain.
- I use a thermometer to check doneness.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 1, chapter 3 is Pan Sauces and Butters: turning the browned bits in the pan into a sauce.