Cooking a steak to perfection isn't rocket science and it should never be daunting. Pay respect to quality cuts of beef with our guide to creating the perfect steak, cooked to your liking and full of flavor.
Whether you love the tender, decadent texture of filet mignon, crave flavor-packed ribeye or can't resist the depth and complexity of porterhouse, constant attention and quick-cooking will ensure the best results. With only a short window of time between rare and well-done, timing is everything. But don't panic. You don't have to go it alone. We've put together some tips that will help you to get your steak the way you, your family and your guests like it time after time.
Getting the best results also depends on the cut and quality of the meat you select. Prime Meats steaks are carefully prepared by our master butcher and have been aged to perfection to create a restaurant-quality steak. These are steaks you may have already experienced for yourself as we supply our steaks to over 300 restaurants throughout America.
Choose Your Steak
The cut of steak you select is all down to personal preference or the recipe you are following. Different cuts will deliver varying levels of flavor and tenderness that will also affect their cooking times.
T-bone: Great for sharing. To ensure your steak cooks evenly, it's best finished in the oven.
Filet Mignon: Prized as the most tender and lean cuts of beef, it has little fat and is great served even blue or rare as it will still retain its melt-in-the-mouth tenderness.
Ribeye: Choose bone-in or boneless. Rich marbling makes ribeye one of the best steaks to enjoy medium-rare.
New York strip: Tender with a rich and bold beefy profile, it's easy to see what makes this classic steakhouse cut so popular.
Choosing the Right Pan
If you are cooking your steak indoors, we recommend a heavy griddle pan or cast-iron skillet. These pans get very hot and are great at retaining heat -- great for getting that smoky, caramelized finish to the sides of your steak. Choose a pan with plenty of room so that you can baste your steak in its own tasty juices as it cooks.
Cooking Times
Filet Mignon
These are approximate timing recommendations.
- Blue: 1½ mins each side
- Rare: 2¼ mins each side
- Medium-rare: 3¼ mins each side
- Medium: 4½ mins each side
Porterhouse
These are approximate timing recommendations.
- Blue: 1 min each side
- Rare: 1½ mins per side
- Medium rare: 2 mins per side
- Medium: About 2¼ mins per side
- Well-done steak: Cook for about 4-5 mins each side, depending on thickness
Ribeye
These are approximate timing recommendations.
- Blue: 1 min each side
- Rare: 2 mins per side
- Medium rare: 3 mins per side
- Medium: 4 mins per side
- Well-done steak: 5 mins each side, depending on thickness.
Cooking Your Steak to Perfection
Season your steak with salt up to an hour before cooking. Season with pepper just before cooking.
Heat a heavy-based skillet until it is very hot but not smoking hot.
Drizzle some oil into the pan and move the pan around to coat the base and sides.
Add the steak, and if you are feeling especially decadent, some butter, garlic, and robust herbs.
Sear evenly on each side using our recommended timings above, turning each minute to ensure a slightly crispy, caramelized crust.
Leave to rest on a warm plate or board for 5 minutes.
Slice the steak or serve it whole.
Enjoy.