Before I moved up to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University, I had no idea how to cook most meals. The only things I knew how to make were pasta, mac and cheese from a box, ramen noodles and grilled cheese.However, once I moved up here, I had to force myself to learn how to cook chicken, ground beef, fish, etc. just so that I wouldn’t spend all my money on fast food. Now that I’m in my last year of college, my skills in the kitchen have improved and I actually enjoy cooking. I grow excited at the thought of grocery shopping and trying new dishes that I see online. Cooking is a lot of fun once you get a grip in the kitchen and after learning how to cook steak in the summer, I can’t stop cooking it for me and my roommates. Steak is without a doubt the easiest piece of meat to ever cook. Though it is a bit pricey (depends on where you’re buying it from), if you’re ever in the mood of splurging on yourself, cook a nice steak. It’s quick, easy and if you follow these steps, you’ll always be in the mood to cook one.
Ingredients:
- 1 New York Strip Steak
- Salt (Kosher salt is also fine)
- Pepper
- Olive Oil
Tools:
- Cast iron skillet (if you don’t have one, a regular kitchen pan is fine)
- Cutting board
- Tongs
Step 1: After defrosting the steak, season both sides with salt and pepper evenly. You can marinate it overnight with your favorite steak sauce or other marinates, but I prefer keeping the seasoning simple. Trust me, salt and pepper go a long way.
Step 2: While the steak is marinating for few minutes on the cutting board, place the cast iron skillet or large kitchen pan over high heat and use about two tablespoons of olive oil. Make sure that the pan and/or cast iron is extremely hot before cooking the steak.
Step 3: Whether it’s Blue Rare, Rare, Medium Rare, Medium Well and I can’t believe I’m saying this, even Well Done, this step is all about how you like your steak done. Personally, I prefer my steak Rare or Medium Rare, so I usually set the timer for three minutes on each side if I want it Rare or four minutes on each side if I’m in the mood for Medium Rare.
While you’re cooking your steak, don’t move it around and just let it cook. Don’t poke at it with a fork or knife while it’s in the pan. Only touch it when you’re ready to flip it over.
See how beautiful it’s starting to look. A nice, crisp brown is what you want to see.
Don’t forget to sear the fat on the side! If you don’t like the fat, you can always slice it off beforehand or after and give it someone who does. The fat absorbs a lot of the flavor.
Step 4: Once you finish cooking your steak by your preference, place the steak on the cutting board and LEAVE IT ALONE. Let it rest for 5 minutes! The worst thing you can do is immediately cut into a steak because you are not giving it time for all the juices to redistribute all over the meat. By allowing it to rest, the steak will be a lot more tender and juicer to eat.
Step 5: Once the resting period is over, you can slice it in half and gaze upon the beauty of cooking your own steak, then eat it on its own or pair it with mashed potatoes, vegetable, rice or however you’d like.
*All images courtesy of Samantha Gonzalez.