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Food Comics: Steak Techniques Part 1

Picture of Tom O.
Tom O.
4 min read

We are pleased to introduce Food Comics from The Chopping Block where our resident Cartoonist Tom O'Brien illustrates his cooking adventures. In this first part of a three-part series, he demonstrates how to make steak at home using two different techniques. Be sure to catch parts two and three for all five steak techniques. 

Hey there, Food Fans! Welcome to the first part of this 3 part series! Steak is a classic main course and can be very pricey at a restaurant. Because of this, some people think that it's a tricky or expensive thing to make at home, but I'm going to show you the pros and cons of five different techniques for making steak at home that you'll love! Food Comics Series: 5 Steak Techniques (Part 1) The five techniques we're going to look at in this series are Seared, Seared with an oven finish, Reverse Seared, Sous Vide and Grilled. These recipes will yield 1 steak, but the cooking process won't change if you make more. For any of these methods, all you'll need is: 1 Rib-eye or New York Strip steak, roughly 1 inch thick 1 Tbsp garlic and rosemary compound butter (or regular, unsalted butter) salt and pepper Seared Often when people think about cooking a steak, they envision a pan seared steak. Pan searing is the most straight forward way to cook a steak, but requires the most precision and skill. When pan searing, start by bringing your steak to room temperature, which usually takes about 20-30 minutes. Heat a cast iron skillet with medium-high heat and half a tablespoon of compound butter per steak. Pat the steak dry and, right before searing, season heavily with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is very hot, sear the steak for 4 minutes on each side, flipping only once. After both sides have seared, also sear the edges of the steak for roughly 30 seconds each edge. Drizzle another half a tablespoon of melted compound butter over the steak. Allow the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting and enjoy! Seared and Oven Finished Searing with an oven finish is just what it sounds like. This technique cooks the interior of the steak slightly more, without over-charring the outside. It does require extra time, steps and the use of the oven. Just like with pan searing, start by bringing the steak to room temperature. While the steak comes to room temperature, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet with medium-high heat and half a tablespoon of compound butter per steak. Pat the steak dry and, right before searing, season heavily with salt and pepper. One the skillet is very hot, sear the steak for 3 and a half minutes on each side this time, flipping only once. After both sides have seared, also sear the edges of the steak for roughly 30 seconds each edge. Next, move the skillet along with the steaks right into the oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and move the steaks to a cutting board to rest for 5-10 minutes. Drizzle another half a tablespoon of melted compound butter over the steak and enjoy! Come back next month for part two of this Steak Series. I’ll discuss another classic technique for making steak, as well as some modern techniques we’re seeing more in home kitchens: the Reverse Sear and Sous Vide! Happy Eating!

Want to learn how to cook a steak perfectly each and every time? Don't miss The Chopping Block's Steakhouse DIY hands-on class coming up on:

Love our food comics but want a text-only version for easy reference in the kitchen? Download a PDF of the recipe here.

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