Pan Seared, Oven Roasted Steak with Flavored Butter
By Charlie Burke
We are now in the outdoor grilling season, and I certainly enjoy cooking over hardwood charcoal, but in rainy weather or when we are having guests for dinner I prefer to cook inside. Some of my previous recipes use this restaurant technique of searing on the stove top, then finishing the dish in the oven. The same advantages of this approach which appeal to busy chefs are also important to home cooks – ease and predictability of results.
This is also an example of the importance of the quality of the ingredients and of cooking them properly. The addition of flavored butter raises simple steak to a higher level, suitable for a formal dinner. That it is simple to prepare makes it ideal for busy cooks.
I use rib eye or delmonico steaks which have sufficient fat to produce a moist, tender result. Filet mignon or other very lean cuts do not do as well in this preparation, and, ideally, the steaks should be a minimum of one and a half inches in thickness. Traditional flavored butter includes shallots or garlic, plus the chef’s choice of herbs, usually parsley or thyme.
For two servings:
1 16 ounce or 2 8 ounce rib eye steaks at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter or butter substitute (I find Earth Balance works as well as butter)
3 teaspoons finely chopped shallot or garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
Sea or kosher salt and ground black pepper
Cannola or grape seed oil
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Mix the finely chopped parsley with the shallot or garlic. Sprinkle lightly with salt and press with the flat side of a chef’s knife to mash slightly; mix with softened butter or butter substitute. Melt the butter mixture over low heat in a small sauté pan.
Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper and place a heavy sauté pan or iron skillet over high heat, filming the bottom with oil when hot. Sear the steak until browned on one side (4 – 6 minutes). Turn the steak and brush the top generously with the flavored butter. Place into the heated oven and cook until done to your preference (check after 4 – 5 minutes by cutting into the center of one of the steaks). Remember that the meat will continue to cook from residual heat, so remove it from the oven when slightly less done than you wish. Pour remaining butter and any pan juices over the meat and let it stand for several minutes before serving. Serve as individual steaks or slice just before serving on warmed plates.
Master this technique, and you will be serving steaks like those in Paris Bistros. Really good steak needs only potatoes, roasted or fried and your choice of vegetables along with salad and a dry red winefor a classic meal which belongs in any serious cook’s repertoire.