Recipe : Pan-Seared Rib Eye Steak

I'm sorry, I really am.  I should have gotten a picture of these beauties, but I was too eager to get the meal served up to an appreciative husband and reaching for the camera didn't even enter my mind.  If I do this again, I promise I'll come back to this post and add a photo.  ;)

Also, this isn't exactly a "frugal" recipe, since rib eye steaks aren't exactly cheap.  UNLESS, that is, you have bought a bulk meat order from a local farm and there happens to be some rib eye tucked in there among the ground beef, stew meat and lesser cuts of steak.  In which case, this is a fabulous way to prepare them as a treat!  The original recipe called for Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  I used sea salt and black pepper from a shaker and it turned out fine.

An important thing to know about this recipe is, it generates a LOT of smoke.  The stove fan won't handle it. Open a door, a window, or both... and unplug your smoke detector(s) before you start cooking.


Pan-Seared Rib Eye Steak, a la Alton Brown from the Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe/index.html
with honorable mention to:  http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2007/08/ribeye_for_one.html


boneless rib eye steak, 1 to 1-1/2-inch thick
oil to coat - canola or olive
salt and black pepper


Pat the steaks dry with paper towel.  Place in a shallow dish.  Drizzle with oil, rub all over both sides.  Generously sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Allow steaks to rest in the dish for 30 minutes to an hour.


Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees.

When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 1-2 minutes without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 1-2 minutes, then put the pan straight into the oven.   Bake for three minutes.  Turn steaks over with tongs and bake for another three minutes.  At this point you've got a pretty good rare to medium-rare steak.  Increase cooking time, or keep baking & flipping three minutes at a time until desired doneness is reached.  (For a well-done but not dry steak, I ended up baking it for a total of nine minutes on each side, flipped every three minutes.)

Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and let for about five minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.



A great finishing touch:  Add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cook over med-high heat, scraping the bottom well to get all the flavorful bits off.  Add a generous sprinkle of black pepper.  Cook down for a few minutes then add 1/2 onion, sliced thin.  Cook for a few more minutes then add about a dozen mushrooms, quartered.  Cook til the sauce is all but gone and serve hot over the steak.