It took me a long time to figure out how to cook the perfect steak, consistently well, every time.I’ve served up many overcooked, chewy steaks in our early dating days! For something that seems so simple, there are lots of variables, which can be confusing! Now I’ve got great steak cooking under my belt, I’ve come up a no-fail, step-by-step plan, covering each of those variables, so you can be confident in the kitchen to cook beautiful, juicy steak. For a 2.5cm thick ribeye or sirloin, cooking to a MEDIUM level of doneness (more info further down the posts for different levels of doneness): Overcrowding:Cook no more than 2 steaks at a time. If the pan is over-crowded, the heat will be reduced, meaning any liquid that comes out of the steaks won’t be able to evaporate quickly enough, and they’ll end up boiling instead of frying. That means no beautiful char, and therefore a lot less flavour. Oil the steak:Oil the steak, not the pan – this is so you get a nice even covering on the steak. You don’t have to worry about the oil not being hot when it goes on the steak. Our pan is going to be so hot, the oil will heat up instantly. Use a flavourless oil with a high smoke point – such as sunflower oil. Season well:As well as the oil, we want to season the steak generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.Some people say that seasoning with pepper before cooking will cause the pepper to become bitter, but I have never found that.The key is to use freshly ground black pepper that’s a little bit coarse. Don’t use fine pepper powder – that is more likely to burn.You can make the pepper very coarse if you prefer it that way (just bash the pepper in bag with a rolling pin). Personally, I use a pepper grinder, so it’s just a little bit coarse.You may think you’re adding too much pepper to the steak, but the flavour of the pepper ‘cooks in’ to the steak as you’re frying it, so it won’t be overwhelmingly peppery. Steak thickness:I tend to look for steak that is around 2cm-2.5cm thick. Any thicker than that and you will have to adjust the cooking timings, and are at risk over overcooking the outside of the steak, whilst the middle remains undercooked. Don’t go straight from the fridge!Cooking a steak right from the fridge is a BIG no no.We’re cooking the steak for a short amount of time to get that perfect outside char. We really don’t want the steak to still be cold in the middle when we get to the char stage. Type of steak:My recommendation in most cases is to go for ribeye or sirloin steak. Look for a steak with thin veins of fat running through it. This fat will render down during cooking, resulting in a tender, juicy steak.Try to avoid steak that has a big vein of gristle through it. No one wants to bite into that.Also, don’t be afraid if the steak has a lovely fat strip of fat on that outside. That fat will give the steak more flavour during cooking. You don’t have to eat it (but I always nibble on a little, because it’s rather tasty).You can of course use other cuts of steak if you prefer, but they often need different cooking times and sometimes need finishing in the oven.I have some info below (notes section of the recipe card) on cooking fillet steak – but that one can be trickier, as it’s a lot thicker and leaner than ribeye or sirloin.Other types of steak include rump, T-bone, flat iron, Denver, skirt and flank. Let me know if you want to info on how to cook any of these cuts in the comments below. Even cooking:Rather than cook one side until it’s perfectly browned (which can take a few minutes), then cook the other side for less time (so the steak isn’t overcooked), turn the steak every minute. This will help to ensure even cooking and char on both sides. Rest the steak:A good rule of thumb is to rest the steak for at least as long as you cooked it. This will allow the fibres to relax, and you’re steak will be juicier and more tender for it.Rest on a slightly warm plate or wooden board.
Cooking times (for a 2cm-2.5cm thick Sirloin or Ribeye)
(Turning the steak every minute)
Rare: 3 minutes totalMedium Rare: 4 minutes totalMedium Well: 5-6 minutes totalWell done: 8 minutes total
Don’t forget to REST YOUR STEAK. Any juices that are left from resting the steak can be added to your steak sauce. Stay updated with new recipes!Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos). Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
