Pan-Seared Steak

A steak seared gently in foaming butter — not blasted over high heat — and finished with a simple pan jus. Basting in butter with optional garlic and herbs builds a deep, even crust while keeping the inside tender and rosy, proof that a naturally tender cut needs very little help to cook beautifully.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 steaks (ribeye, New York strip, or chuck eye), about 1 inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 sprigs rosemary (optional)
• 2 sprigs thyme (optional)
• 2 whole cloves of garlic (optional)
• ½ cup water (for the jus)

Pan-Frying

Pan-Seared Chicken Breast Chicken Katsu Chicken Parmesan Pan-Seared Pork Chop Southern Fried Pork Chop with Gravy Pan-Seared Duck Breast Pan-Seared Salmon Pan-Seared Swordfish Pan-Seared Cod Rösti

Browning Food and Building a Sauce→

Method

I've cooked steak about every way possible: grilled, fried, smoked, high heat, low heat, reverse seared. The best result is always seared gently in butter on medium heat (contrary to popular belief). Perhaps it's the water content of butter that helps keep the steak from over-searing. I've always found that searing on high heat produces a better crust, but a tougher steak than cooking in butter at medium heat.

Also, I flip them 3 times, not once, not every minute. Flipping three times every minute and 30 seconds for rare, and every minute and 45 seconds for medium. For myself, 7 minutes total is almost always perfect.

Sear the steaks

Let the steaks sit at room temperature 30 minutes if time allows.

Season the steaks with salt and a generous amount of pepper.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat until foaming, then add the steaks and cook 1:30–1:45 minutes before flipping. Add the optional aromatics (if using), and continue flipping every 1:30–1:45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness (130°F for medium-rare), about 6–7 minutes total. Remove from the pan, season lightly with salt, and let rest 5 minutes — this matters more for steak than almost anything else here.

Make the jus

Pour the water into the still-hot pan and bring it to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon to make a simple jus. Reduce by roughly half, then pour over the steak.

Pairs with: Steak Bordelaise; Steak au Poivre