How to pan-sear a steak
Master pan-searing a thick steak using a cast iron skillet, high-heat searing, butter basting with aromatics, and precise internal temperature control.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Heavy cast iron skillet
- ✓ Digital instant-read meat thermometer
- ✓ Stainless steel tongs
- ✓ Large metal spoon
- ✓ Wire cooling rack and cutting board
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 1.5-inch thick ribeye or New York strip steak
- ✓ Coarse kosher salt
- ✓ Coarsely cracked black pepper
- ✓ 1 tbsp high-smoke-point oil (avocado or grapeseed)
- ✓ 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ✓ 3 cloves fresh garlic (smashed)
- ✓ 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Never drop meat toward yourself; lay it down away from you to prevent hot oil splattering.
- • Use a dry, heat-resistant oven mitt or silicone grip on the cast iron handle at all times.
- • Keep skillet heat ventilated to manage smoke from high-temperature searing.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Dry and Season the Steak
Press paper towels firmly all over the steak until the surface is completely matte and free of moisture. Generously coat all sides, including the edges, with coarse kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Let the seasoned steak sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking.
- • Meat surface looks dry and matte with an even crust of white salt granules and pepper specks on all faces.
- • Leaving moisture on the meat surface, which causes steaming instead of searing.
Preheat the Skillet and Add Oil
Set the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and dry-heat it for 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in 1 tablespoon of high-smoke-point oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Wait until wisps of light smoke rise steadily from the pan surface.
- • A thin, shimmering layer of oil across the pan with faint wisps of white smoke rising.
- • Adding meat before the pan is hot enough, preventing immediate crust formation.
Sear Both Sides and Render Fat
Lay the steak into the skillet away from you to avoid hot oil splashing. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip using tongs to sear the second side for 2 minutes. Hold the steak vertically with tongs for 45 seconds to render and crisp the fat cap.
- • Deep mahogany-brown crust across the entire flat face with rendered, golden-edged fat cap.
- • Moving or pressing the steak repeatedly, which breaks surface contact and squeezes out juices.
Add Aromatics and Butter Baste
Lower the heat to medium and add butter, smashed garlic cloves, and herb sprigs into the pan. Tilt the skillet slightly toward you and use a large spoon to rapidly ladle the foaming, aromatic butter over the top of the steak continuously for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip once and repeat basting on the other side.
- • Foaming golden-brown butter covering the steak surface with glossy herbs and sizzling garlic cloves.
- • Adding butter too early at maximum heat, turning it bitter and pitch black.
Check Internal Temperature and Pull
Insert the probe of your digital thermometer horizontally into the thickest center part of the meat, avoiding any bone or large fat pockets. Remove the steak from the skillet when it reads 120°F (49°C) for rare, 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare, or 140°F (60°C) for medium. Transfer immediately to a wire rack.
- • Thermometer displays the target internal pull temperature and steak is lifted cleanly onto the wire rack.
- • Judging doneness by color or touch rather than a calibrated digital thermometer.
Rest and Slice Against the Grain
Allow the steak to rest on the wire rack undisturbed for 6 to 8 minutes so muscle fibers relax and redistribute juices. Transfer to a cutting board and slice perpendicular to the visible grain lines into 1/2-inch strips. Spoon any accumulated resting juices or remaining brown butter over the slices before serving.
- • Even pink interior visible throughout the cut slices with minimal juice pooling on the board.
- • Cutting the steak immediately out of the pan, causing all internal moisture to bleed out onto the board.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Tips Tips Tips — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Heavy cast iron skillet? Heavy stainless steel or carbon steel skillet
- No Avocado oil? Grapeseed, canola, or light refined olive oil
- No Wire cooling rack? An inverted plate or warm cutting board