We've collected some tips and tricks to help you cook our 100% grassfed beef steaks to perfection.
Want to treat yourself to a great steak, but worried about cooking it right? We get that a lot, and we're here to help! We've got a few basic pointers that will help you cook your steak like a pro. And speaking of pros, Heather also collected some of the most famous steak cooking advice from around the inerwebs just for you.
Let's Start with The Basics
If we've ever "talked steak" over the butcher counter, there are a few butcher basics for successful steak cookery that I swear by. The secret to perfect steak is all about what you do BEFORE an AFTER you cook it.
Before: Plan ahead and season your steak with salt up to a day in advance, this will allow the steak to be seasoned throughout, rather than just on the surface. When you're ready to cook, take your steak out of the refrigerator so it can start to rise in temperature before you cook it (I recommend about an hour, and if you have't salted it yet, now's the time!). This results in more even cooking throughout, as opposed to a done exterior and rare center, when the middle of your steak isn't ice cold to start. And finally, take care to pat the steak dry before you place it in your hot skillet to remove as much moisture as possible, this will give you the most efficient browning.
After: Once you've cooked your steak and checked its temp, it's time to WAIT! Unless you've cooked a million steaks, why guess? Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness), and remember, your steak will continue to "carry over" and continue to cook for a few minutes once you remove it from the heat, so stop cooking about 5 degrees shy of your desired done temperature. Letting your steak rest after cooking also allows it to relax as the juices resorb, instead of running all over your cutting board when you slice it. Trust me, the wait is worth it.
What the Heck is Reverse Sear?
New to this technique? It's worth a try! By slowly cooking your steak to temperature in a low oven, or on the cool side of a grill, then searing after, you can achieve a perfectly cooked interior and a beautifully browned crust. If you're still working on your cooking confidence, I like this method because there is a bit more room for error in the time vs. temp because you're not cooking fast. Another bonus is that there's no need for a resting period before serving, thanks to the low-heat method used in the first stage of cooking.
The internet authority on the reverse sear is the one and only J. Kenji López-Alt (this video is a great appetizer for steak night), and you can follow his recipe for reverse seared steak on Serious Eats.
What About Sous Vide?
I'm going to be honest with you, I'm a classic cast iron gal and I don't have much experience with meat jacuzzis. BUT I know a lot of chefs and regular customers who swear by this technique for perfectly cooked steaks. The method is essentially the same concept at the reverse sear, but with gadgets!
The best resource for sous vide cooking is the mad food scientist Dave Arnold (who once interviewed me on his podcast!), and if you want to go deep you can find his detailed primer, some fancy charts, and more here, on the Cooking Matters blog. For an intro-level resource if you're thinking about giving sous vide a whirl, try this guide from Simply Recipes.
So You Want to Butter Baste...
Have you ever watched a chef cook a steak? Well, they have actually done it a million time and have all kinds of confidence and tricks, like simply poking the steak or using a cake tester instead of a thermometer to gauge doneness. And what about butter basting, have you seen this move? It's magic, but does take some some trial and error to perfectly time your steak in the hot pan so it doesn't overcook (full disclosure: I'm still trying to nail this).
For your enjoyment I dug up this how-to video that I filmed way back in 2016 with my friend, Chef Trevor Budny (one of Primal's OG supporters), who expertly cooked a steak in my kitchen the "butter baste" way. You can catch some of my basic steak cooking tips in action and give this technique a try for yourself.