How to Cook the Perfect Steak

For a cut of meat that is a staple of so many backyard barbeques, steak can seem overwhelming to cook if you lack experience being in charge of the tongs. Whether you are aiming for a rare T-bone or a medium-well New York, cooking the perfect steak can leave you sweating over the grill and questioning everything you've ever learned about cooking.

Over the years, we've had our fair share of steaks gone wrong, mainly from overcooking. For a family that enjoys rare steaks, a pinkless, well done ribeye is not something we desire. While every beef lover has a strongly held opinion about just how done that delicious cut of red meat should be, the instructions below will allow you to perfectly tailor every steak to your desired doneness. Of course, every delicious steak dinner begins with a high quality steak. That's why we suggest choosing Oak Island Farms steaks!

Step 1: Thaw 

To begin, you want to thaw your Oak Island steak slowly in the fridge. If you are like me and perpetually forget this step, have no fear. Simply fill your sink or a large bowl with cold water and let the package of steaks thaw in the cool bath for an hour. 

Step 2: Prepare your steaks

After your steak is thawed, remove it from the packaging, gently pat dry with a paper towel and let it come to room temperature. This step is CRUCIAL. If you do not let the steak come to room temp, you risk ending up with a beautifully browned steak that is cold and raw in the middle. After ten mins on the counter, sprinkle salt on both sides. Gently pat the steak to help the salt stick. After another 30 mins your steak should reach room temperature. 

Step 3: Heat the pan

While your steak is coming up to room temperature, heat a skillet over medium high heat on the stove. Add a healthy drizzle of olive or avocado oil. Good ole butter is also an option- take your pick! For the most even heat distribution, we recommend a cast iron pan.

Step 4: Cook

Once your pan is hot and your steak has reached room temperature, gently drop it into the sizzling pan. Let it cook for 3-4 mins until beautifully browned, then flip and cook for another 3-4 mins.

Step 5: Tent & rest

After your steak is cooked to its desired internal temperature (see chart below), remove from the pan and place a loose fitting foil tent over the steaks for 5 mins. Remove the foil, let the steak rest for another 5 mins then serve. 

Step 6: Enjoy!

Ta-da! You're probably drooling at this point so go ahead and gobble that steak up!

Note:
When determining the length to cook each side, take into consideration the thickness of the steak and the marbling of that cut. For thin and leaner steaks (sirloin, round, ect) aim for 3 mins. For thicker, more marbled steaks (chuck eye, t-bone, ribeye) cook a bit longer, usually 4 mins per side. The higher the fat content, the more heat the beef can take!