A chef-approved method promises juicy and delicious steak every time, and it is incredibly simple to perfect. Nagi Maehashi, the chef and cookbook author behind viral foodie website RecipeTin Eats, said this is "dramatic, simple cooking at its best", which makes you think you're dining at the best steakhouse in town.
The Secret: Garlic-Thyme Butter
Most of us know to bring the steak to room temperature before cooking, salt generously, use butter rather than oil, and let it rest once it is cooked. But rather than using plain butter and simply frying the steak atop the fat, Nagi said the secret is to baste the steak in garlic-thyme butter.
You do not have to find a fancy flavoured butter in the supermarket. Instead, add six sprigs of fresh thyme to the pan with 75g of melted butter - or three sprigs of rosemary - along with five peeled and smashed garlic cloves.
How to Cook Steak Like a Chef
It may sound like a lot of butter for one steak, but you should use the same amount even if you are cooking two steaks, because there needs to be enough liquid to spoon up. She said: "Here's how to cook steak like a chef – pan seared and basted with garlic thyme butter! It's as simple as this: while the steak is searing in the pan, throw in butter, garlic and thyme and baste continuously as the steak finishes cooking."
"The garlic-thyme infused butter does all sorts of wonderful things to the steak, seeping into the cracks and crevices, and adhering to the crust of the steak."
Step-by-Step Method
To follow her method, generously sprinkle salt and pepper over each side of the steak before putting it in a smoking-hot skillet with oil. Based on a 300g steak that is 2.5cm thick, sear it on one side for two minutes until a crust forms, before turning. Then leave it for one minute before pushing the steaks to one side and tossing in butter, garlic and thyme.
As soon as the butter has melted, spoon it over the steak continuously until it's cooked to your liking. If you're aiming for medium-rare, she recommends two minutes on the second side.
