Rub or brush a layer of oil around the steak, then salt and pepper. (Oil is optional here, I only use it so that the salt and pepper sticks) As for butter, I don't see any downsides to rubbing the steak with butter in the oven, haven't tried it tho. You can also opt for a dry rub or marinade beforehand. Stick in oven (cooking time and temp vary depending on thickness). **I don't use a meat thermometer and it shows sometimes. I recommend one, but this technique is easy enough to where you could wing it. You can choose to rest the steak 5-10 minutes after the oven or after grilling, personally I choose to rest after the oven. **I highly recommend you do the searing outside unless you have the best smoke vent in the country. Flat cast iron, you want maximum contact. If you didn't oil the steak before you can use a high smoke point oil (like Canola). Butter is optional but problematic since the pan will be too hot for it to melt (it'll evaporate lmao), as are herbs. I haven't tried this but you could melt the butter in a separate pan and baste the steak while its searing on the cast iron. Make sure that cast iron is screaming hot, anything less and then you'll sit there having to make a choice between overcooking the steak and having a good crust, or having a perfectly cooked steak with a lackluster crust. **You don't want to use too much oil, only enough to prevent the steak from getting glued to the pan. It'll ruin your sear if you use too much. After you finish, if you chose to rest the steak earlier then you can immediately cut in and enjoy. Feel free to add dried rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, your dried herb of choice, for a better aroma.
Haven't really had trouble putting butter and thyme on a cast iron. I use olive oil first on the cast iron and add the thyme and butter later. I assume you meant using butter as your cooking liquid platform, otherwise ignore this whole comment lol.
With the heat that is required for the searing for reverse sear, the butter smokes instantaneously on contact lol. On a reverse sear that sear heat needs to be on max.
Reverse Sear is not grilling. It is roasting. The meat has a distinctively different flavor...like the difference between a Prime Rib Roast and a ... well ... uh,,, a steak. Not a fan of that gimmick used primarily to control interior color. Can't believe ppl will sacrifice flavor over color. btw: I don't think it is coincidence that the reverse sear is the exact method that Alton Brown taught for making a Prime Rib Roast ... well before the reverse sear for steak hit youtube.
Youre really gonna flip when you see this then.... Whats your take on boiled steak? :grin: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c0V2c-t6qL8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here's a quick rundown of how to make great steak at home: 1. Get a decent thermometer. Thermapens are worth every penny. 2. Pull the steak 5-10 degrees below your target temp and rest for at least 10 minutes covered in foil. I also top with a pat of butter to keep them moist. 3. Buy good steaks. Big, thick steaks are more forgiving than small or thin. Strip and ribeye are king, everything else needs some help to get the most out of it. Sirloin is okay, but I can't eat it above medium rare, personally. I'd rather eat nice prime steaks once a month than inferior select steaks every week. Cook those cheap steaks in a cast iron pan on your stove basted in butter and you'll end up with a better product. 4. Have a hot and reliable fire. There is way more bang for your buck here with charcoal. The extra thirty minutes it takes to light your Weber chimney starter are worth it. Plus you can make amazing smoked chicken on a Weber kettle grill. 5. Salt and rest your meat at room temperature at least an hour before cooking. Bringing your meat up to temp gives you a much wider gradient of meat cooked at temperature.
