The optimal steak is cooked over a wood fire. The next-highest tier is charcoal. If you can’t get outside to the fire pit or grill, then the only acceptable method is cast iron. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.
You can go about it one of two ways. The first is a reverse sear. Cook in the oven until it’s just under the temperature you want, then get a nice crust in a super hot pan. I know people who swear by it, and I have done it myself with good success.
However, I prefer to sear first, then finish in the oven.
Take the cast iron skillet and get it to high heat. Pour a little olive oil in when it’s heated. While you wait, get your steaks and season with sea salt and cracked pepper (you can also do this ahead of time, which is preferred, but sometimes you just don’t have the time). When the skillet is ready, put your steaks in and get that crust going. If you have more steaks than fit in the skillet, get your sear on both sides and remove, putting the next steaks in.
While your steaks are cooking, pre-heat the oven to 250. You don’t want it too hot because you can overcook the steaks quick, but if you go too low, you’ll take longer (again, for a lot of folks cooking on a weeknight, time is not always our friend). When you’ve got the crust you want, take your skillet and put it in the oven.
You want your steaks to get to 130-135 degrees F before you take them out (a little less if you want it rarer, a little more for medium). Use a probe thermometer to get your temperatures right (you may eventually get to a point where you don’t need to do that… I don’t think I ever will because I’m too obsessive). Pull the steaks out and onto a cutting board or plate to rest. There will be some carryover cooking as the heat from the outside of the meat works its way into the interior, so also make sure you pull them out just shy of your ideal temperature to take that into account.
While all this is cooking, get a stick of butter and some herbs or spices ready. You want to make a compound butter to add some richness and a dash of flavor to the meat at the last second. The easy route is a garlic and herb butter, but as you might have guessed, I go crazy sometimes. What you see in the picture above is a grass-fed t-bone steak with blue cheese and dried chili flake butter to add spice and richness to the already fatty steak.
To make the butter, let a stick get to room temperature so it’s soft and easy to mix. Add your ingredients. For the blue cheese and chili butter, I added three tablespoons of blue cheese and one tablespoon of dried chili flakes. Add a little salt and garlic to round out the taste and then roll it in plastic wrap or parchment paper and put it in the fridge until you’re ready.
When the meat is rested but still warm, serve on a plate and put a generous slab of your butter over the top. It will melt over the steak, adding a great burst of flavor. Serve the steak with fries, chips, or whatever side you want.