even the hottest pan cool too fast to cook effectively.
For best results, make sure that your steaks have at
least an inch of room around them on all sides. When
cooking a large number of steaks, use multiple skillets,
cook in batches, or, better yet, take things outdoors to
the grill.
- Flip as often as you’d like. Flipping multiple times not
only gets your meat to cook a little faster, it also makes
it cook more evenly and develop a crust just as nicely
as a single flip will. That said, the difference is
minimal, so if you don’t want to flip every 30 seconds,
don’t sweat it.
- If using high heat for a normal-sized steak, don’t
add butter and aromatics until close to the end.
Butter contains proteins that can aid in browning, but if
you add it too early on in the process, it can burn,
turning bitter and acrid. Start your steak in oil and add
the butter only for the last few minutes of cooking. If
you’d like, add some aromatics, like thyme or
rosemary stems, bay leaves, smashed garlic cloves, or
sliced shallots at the same time. For a thicker steak that
is cooked over more moderate heat, the butter can be
added a little earlier.
- Get the edges! Well, assuming you like your steak as
thick as I do, there’s a significant edge that sees little to
no direct action during the entire searing process, but
that edge is often the fattiest, most delicious part of the
steak. It deserves love just as much as the next guy.
Pick up your steak with tongs and get those edges
seared!
