# Best way to cook steak indoors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320 "2013-01-25T14:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/21 "2013-01-25T20:26:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, I do the reverse sear method, and I do it straight-from-fridge. [Read the explanation of the method here](http://www.forums.cuisineathome.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Number=64247). It’s basically taken from Cook’s Illustrated, but I can’t find a link to the Cook’s Illustrated article that is not subscription-only. > > Basically, you liberally salt the steak, and put it in the fridge for about half an hour. Preheat oven to 275. Place steak (straight from fridge) in oven at 275 for about 25 minutes (until it reaches about 95 for medium rare.) Meanwhile, heat a cast iron pan until very hot (I wait until it just starts smoking, then I turn down the heat very slightly), and sear for two minutes a side. Don’t fiddle with it, down poke it, don’t move it around on the pan, just plain don’t touch it for two minutes until you flip it, and then the same for two minutes more. Transfer to plate, let rest 5 minutes or so, and serve. > > That’s the way I do it, and it makes absolutely perfect steak every time. I dare say I like this method as much as grilling. Grilling imparts a lovely charcoal/fire flavor, but this method imparts lots of a tasty browned crust (via the Malliard reaction). This is the correct answer. I’ve only cooked steaks this way once, but it’s now my go-to indoor steak cooking method. One minor nitpick, I cook the first side for 1.5 minutes, the second for 2.5 minutes, as the pan is cooled slightly. ---
**Author:** ![andrewbub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@andrewbub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewbub)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/22 "2013-01-25T21:43:17Z")
sear on one side in a VERY hot pan, flip it over, then finish it in the oven until it gets to your desired doneness. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/23 "2013-01-25T21:54:32Z")
I actually enjoy cooking my steaks in a pan on the stove just so I have an excuse to make a pan sauce to go with them. Like was said above, deglaze the pan with wine and beef stock. Let reduce. add in chopped herbs (taragon is nice, but just about any will do. I did sage last time because it was what I had in my fridge.) Off heat, stir in a couple of tablespoons of cold butter half a tablespoon at a time. Pan sauces are just lovely. I make them for chicken and steak quite frequently. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/24 "2013-01-25T23:01:09Z")
If you have a large enough stainless pot with a heavy bottom, that will do instead of a proper skillet. If it were I, I wouldn’t want to buy new stuff just before a move. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/25 "2013-01-25T23:40:45Z")
Warm the steaks through in the oven at 250, for about 10-15 mins. And _then_ sear it off on high heat, teflon will get hot enough just don’t over do it. The key is the oven, gently cook them until they are about rare and then searing them for a nice brown crust in the pan. ---
**Author:** ![Chipacabra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Chipacabra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chipacabra)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/26 "2013-01-26T01:54:28Z")
I like to pan-sear steaks a lot like how Kenji does over at the [Serious Eats lab](http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/12/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-pan-seared-steaks.html). Especially with filet mignon, which doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor of its own, you want to boost the flavor where ever you can. Season the steak liberally. And by seasoning, I mean salt. Get it on there about 40 minutes to an hour before you cook. Salt every surface. Have your flavoring ready. You’ll want want some nice herbs, garlic, and/or shallots. Keep the herbs whole, slice but don’t dice the garlic/shallots. Heat oil in the sturdiest pan you’ve got. Teflon’s not going to do you any favors here, but if it’s all you’ve got, it’ll have to do. Just don’t let it overheat while the pan is dry. Pop the steak in the pan. Go ahead and keep turning it. You can flip like every 15-20 seconds or so. It’ll be fine. It actually helps the steak cook more evenly to flip more often. When you’ve started to get some color on the steak, add in a big knob of butter. Just stick it right in the pan to melt. Throw your herbs/garlic right in there. Use a spoon to keep ladling the hot butter on the steak. Again, this helps it cook evenly, and also it’s crazy delicious. Try and get the herbs and stuff in each spoonful. Feel free to keep flipping until the steaks are done. I can’t really give times here, since cooking time will vary greatly depending on how thick the steak is, how hot the pan is, etc. Use a thermometer if you’ve got it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/27 "2013-01-26T02:14:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > That looks great. The sauce was outstanding, but the steak would have been better grilled. We will do this again with a roast. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/28 "2013-01-26T06:40:16Z")
> [@Chipacabra](#): > > I like to pan-sear steaks a lot like how Kenji does over at the [Serious Eats lab](http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/12/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-pan-seared-steaks.html). Especially with filet mignon, which doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor of its own, you want to boost the flavor where ever you can. I tried the linked recipe/procedure (followed it pretty much to the t) a few weeks ago, and it was outstanding. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/29 "2013-01-26T09:32:31Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I was going to post that same steak au poivre recipe too - it’s amazing. But for a steak like a ribeye, I prefer a simple recipe. I absolutely agree. I’m not the biggest fan of filet, but when I do feel like it, I like it with a flavorful sauce like steak au poivre. Ribeye, though, just salt & pepper for me. > [@carnivorous plant](#): > > The sauce was outstanding, but the steak would have been better grilled. > We will do this again with a roast. > Thanks! Glad you liked it! To tell you the truth, I’ve never tried it with grilled steak. I believe it’s usually made on a pan because you kind of need the crusty bits that stick to it (_sucs_) to make the sauce properly. That said, make it how you like it! That’s the beauty of cooking for yourself. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/30 "2013-01-26T09:35:50Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > This is the correct answer. I’ve only cooked steaks this way once, but it’s now my go-to indoor steak cooking method. One minor nitpick, I cook the first side for 1.5 minutes, the second for 2.5 minutes, as the pan is cooled slightly. Adjust to whatever works best for you and the materials and heat you are using. I find two minutes a side makes the perfect crust for me. A little trial and error is best in cases like this to see what timings are most appropriate for your situation. Same with the 25 minutes @ 275 guesstimate. Use a thermometer for accurate results, but once you get your settings and timings down, you need not bother with it. Heck, even if you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll be able to tell after your first cook whether you need to adjust the timing up or down. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/31 "2013-01-26T12:51:13Z")
[An Argentine Chimmichurri Sauce is another option.](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Argentinian-Style-Beef-with-Chimichurri-Sauce-243268) ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/32 "2013-01-26T16:37:14Z")
I have the misfortune of a downdraft range and no hood. The amount of smoke when I tried searing in a cast iron skillet set off every smoke alarm in the house! Any way around that? ---
**Author:** ![andrewbub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@andrewbub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewbub)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/33 "2013-01-27T00:37:33Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I have the misfortune of a downdraft range and no hood. > > The amount of smoke when I tried searing in a cast iron skillet set off every smoke alarm in the house! > > Any way around that? don’t sear anything in your domicile. i also have a small circular inline fan that acts as the vent for my stove top (no hood), and i’ve never had a problem with lots of smoke when i sear pieces. i might suggest cleaning your cast iron pan with salt and oil and then re-curing it. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/34 "2013-01-27T05:18:56Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > [An Argentine Chimmichurri Sauce is another option.](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Argentinian-Style-Beef-with-Chimichurri-Sauce-243268) You can’t go very far wrong with chimichurri and steaks. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320/35 "2013-01-27T07:39:15Z")
Any decent frying pan with a thick enough base will work for me. The drawback to stove-top frying is you produce a lot of smoke. You minimize this by thawing to room temperature, and fry in high heat for less than 2 minutes a side. Butter gives less smoke than olive oil, you might consider than. And then take the steak out and wrap in foil on top of a warm plate. Less than 5 minutes and you have rare. 10 minutes and you have medium (pink inside with juice.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-steak-indoors/648320.md?page=1)