There’s nothing as good as a great steak however it’s so easy to get it wrong at home! If you enjoy a steak in a restaurant but haven’t had any success at home, our chef’s tips will move your skills up several notches and impress your family!
JUMP TO:
How To Cook The Perfect Griddle Pan Steak
Choosing The Best Cut Of Steak
My preferred cut of steak is the ribeye; it has good fat content and marbling, which means more flavor.
I prefer a dry-aged steak instead of a wet-aged piece of meat, but this is a personal choice. I always like to choose free-range over feedlot steak.
I believe the best seasoning needs to be a simple salt and pepper season and let the meat speak for itself. Always choose a thicker cut of meat instead of a thin piece; this will allow you to cook it to your required temperature without overcooking. This is especially important if you prefer the under-done temperatures.
I like my steak Medium Rare. So, when buying your steak, I look for a thick-cut piece of meat about 1,5 inches thick. The best cuts of steak to do on the griddle pan are ribeye, sirloin, fillet medallions, or rump.
The Griddle Pan
I have found that the best griddle pans have a thicker bottom, retaining more heat, giving the steak a more even cooking.
Your griddle pan needs to be smoking hot to achieve the perfect steak. Turn the heat up and let the pan heat for at least 5 mins.
To check whether it is hot enough, hover your hand at a safe distance over the pan; if you can feel the heat, then you are good to go. A hot pan is crucial. If the pan isn't hot enough, your steak will stick to the pan and essentially start to stew and not caramelize nicely.
Method
Try to bring your steak to room temperature before cooking by removing it from the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking. If frozen, take it out of the freezer in the morning. This will give the steak at least 8 hours to thaw. This ensures that it's not ice cold on the inside if you prefer an under-done steak.
To prepare the steak, you can season it with a pinch of salt and pepper or marinate it for a few hours before cooking.
An excellent basic marinade would be:
Olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper.
Once seasoned, pour a little round of olive oil on a plate, and roll the steak coting lightly in oil. You do not want to place oil in the pan, as this will create excessive smoke, and the oil will spatter and make a mess all over the stovetop.
Place the seasoned, lightly oiled steak in the pan and leave to sear; you can now turn the pan down to medium-high heat. Leave the steaks to cook for 3 mins to get nice griddle marks, then flip the steak and cook for another 3 mins.
Now that we have some good markings on the steak, we can turn the pan down to low heat, add a knob of butter about 20g, a sprig of bruised thyme, and a clove of garlic, crushed just to burst the skin.
Allow the butter to melt and infuse with the thyme and garlic, then spoon the butter and over the steak. Do this for about 1 min. Once done, remove the pan from the heat and squeeze a wedge of lemon over the steak.
Remove the steak from the pan and leave to rest for a further 2 mins.
Leaving your steak to rest is imperative; it allows for juices to redistribute through the meat, and as a result, your steak will be juicier and way tastier.
If you don't rest the steak, you'll end up with a puddle of juices on the plate.
Place the rested steak on a warm plate, pour over garlic thyme butter, serve it with a simple salad and jacket potato.
Delicious!
Don’t have a griddle pan? No problems. Check out our article on “how to cook a ribeye steak in a frying pan”. Want to try sous vide steak? Check out this delicious recipe!
