The Perfect Ribeye Steak
Master the art of cooking a ribeye steak at home. Start with quality meat, season it simply, and use a sturdy pan to sear the outside before bringing it up to temperature in the oven. See notes for cooking temperatures and be sure to use a thermometer!
Servings: 1 steak
Calories: 224kcal
Equipment
- Cast Iron or Carbon Steel Pan I love my Misen Carbon Steel Pans - the same durability as cast iron, but lighter and sleeker!
Ingredients
- ribeye steak thick cut preferred
- Kosher salt generously season! Don't be afraid to overseason.
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- rosemary sprigs optional, thyme is also great
- garlic cloves optional, shallots are also great
Instructions
- Allow steaks to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to beginning to cook them. Prior to beginning to cook steaks, preheat the oven to 400º F.
- Pat the steaks dry with paper towels.
- Generously season the ribeye steaks on both sides with Kosher salt and black pepper. America’s Test Kitchen says you can never over-salt or pepper a steak – and since I started believing that, my steaks have come out so much better! The coating on the outside flavors the whole steak, and these are thick.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. The pan should smoke when it’s hot enough. Add butter and olive or avocado oil. The oil prevents the butter from burning at a high temperature.
- Add the steaks to the hot pan, and cook them for 3 minutes per side for a good sear. Do not move the steaks or press them down during this time. Allow the meat to develop a flavorful crust by leaving it alone!
- Add garlic cloves and rosemary to the skillet, infusing the butter with flavor, and then spoon the butter mixture over the steaks to coat them in the flavor. This is referred to as butter basting the steaks.
- Add the skillet to the preheated oven and bake the steaks to the desired temperature. Thicker steaks will take longer and thinner steaks should be checked prior to adding them to the oven. See chart below for cooking temperatures, and check steaks with a meat thermometer every 2-3 minutes.
- Once steaks have come to the desired temperature, remove them from the pan and allow them to rest on a plate for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Internal Temperature for Beef
The first rule of the perfect steak is to not overcook it! Use an instant read thermometer and check the steaks often, especially if you prefer a rare or medium rare steak. Rare steaks take very little time in the oven. Cooking times are determined by the thickness of your meat. A medium rare steak has an internal temperature of 130º F. Remove the steaks from the oven at 120º F. The heat from the exterior of the meat will continue to bring the internal temperature up while the steak rests.
Rare: remove at 115°F (about 3 to 4 minutes in oven). After resting, the internal temperature will be 120°F to 125°F.
Medium rare: remove at 120°F (about 5 to 6 minutes in oven). After resting, the internal temperature will be 125 to 130°F.
Medium: remove at 130°F (about 6 to 7 minutes in oven). After resting, the internal temperature will be 135°F to 140°F.
Medium well: remove at 140°F (about 8 to 9 minutes in oven). After resting, the internal temperature will be 145°F to 150°F.
Well done: remove at 150°F (about 10 to 11 minutes in oven). After resting, the internal temperature will be 155°F to 160°F.
Nutrition
Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.01g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg