A trip to the steakhouse has never been light on the pocketbook, and recent restaurant price trends haven’t made that any less true. Making your own steak at home has never looked so attractive! But the pressure is on when friends and family are watching (and waiting with bated breath and grumbling stomachs).
Whether you’re a self-taught expert or a struggling beginner, you should know a thing or two before you get started.
Long Island native chef Drew Rosenberg cooked his first steak at the age of 10 after learning Food Network’s Bobby Flay’s instructions by heart. Now, he’s executive chef for CUT by Wolfgang Puck, the twice Michelin-starred (2019 and 2021) steakhouse at Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
He was gracious enough to share how he prepares steak at home.
Choosing the Meat
Many of us are taught to get as lean a meat as possible, but Mr. Rosenberg can’t stress enough the importance of intramuscular fat, what we call marbling.“People are so afraid of fat nowadays,” he said, but it’s necessary to keep a steak “juicy and flavorful.”
“The finer the fat specks, the better,” he said.
Intramuscular is the operative word: We’re not talking about a large fat strip along the side, but the kind deep in the meat, the part you can’t cut away with a knife.
“Think of this as butter in your favorite croissant!” Mr. Rosenberg said.
If the meat is well-marbled, “you will usually have a great steak no matter which cut you choose.”
His go-to steak is a boneless New York strip about two inches thick. It’s “the best of both worlds: tenderness and fat,” he said. You also get practically a 100 percent yield, since you’re not paying for bone weight or excess fat that you’ll trim off. His true favorite is the slightly pricier bone-in ribeye. “The flavor just does not compare,” he said.
Why not get whatever costs the most? “As a chef, filet mignon steaks are just so overrated and expensive!” Mr. Rosenberg said.
“They lack flavor, juiciness, and that distinctive flavor I look for in a steak,“ he said. ”But everyone likes what they like, so to each his own.”
(Here’s a bonus tip: What to do when you want that finer cut of meat but the price tag gives you pause? Mr. Rosenberg likes a tri-tip roast. The affordability does not sacrifice taste. “Perfect for a rub or marinade, and then roast it in the oven,” he said. Be sure to “slice it against the grain, and on the thinner side.”)
Which Cooking Method Is Best?
There are several ways to go about cooking meat, and each has its pros and cons. With summer approaching, we start with the obvious: the grill. This method, Mr. Rosenberg said, “offers the best flavor”—think of the smokiness a stovetop can’t provide.“But it takes significant time to heat up and clean up,” he said, and there’s the weather factor—no one wants to grill in rain or sweltering heat.
Mr. Rosenberg’s go-to method at home is on a stovetop with a cast-iron pan. “You get an extremely nice crust and great flavor and do not have to fuss around with the grill,“ he said. ”You can baste with butter and herbs; that lactic acid you get from the butter really provides an amazing flavor.”
The Warmup
For even cooking, take the steak out of the fridge to warm to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Can’t wait that long? “Put the steak in a Ziploc bag and place in a bowl of warm running water for about 5 minutes,” Mr. Rosenberg said.
Season with enough salt. You’ll want to sprinkle enough to lightly cover the surface without layering it, either right before you’re going to cook it or at least 45 minutes before for even better results. That allows enough time for the salt to draw out moisture, and then for that moisture to be reabsorbed, carrying the salt into the steak’s interior.
While your cast-iron skillet preheats on medium heat for 10 minutes, gather your tools: tongs, a spoon for basting, a wire rack for resting, and a cutting board. Also prep the rest of your ingredients: butter, a few garlic cloves (unpeeled, so they don’t burn, but lightly smashed), and herbs (Mr. Rosenberg’s go-to is a mix of thyme, a tiny amount of rosemary, and one bay leaf).
“Open your windows, get a fan going, and silence your smoke alarm,” he said. And don’t tell your landlord.
The Main Event
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add about three tablespoons of fat to the pan. “I like to use beef fat to cook my steaks; if not, ghee or clarified butter will do,” Mr. Rosenberg said.
Glide this around and it will start to smoke. Dab the steak with a paper towel to make sure it’s dry—you don’t want to steam the meat in the pan.
Now, add your steak. Pro tip: Place it away from you so you don’t get spattered by oil. Leave it for 1 minute, flip it with your tongs, and leave it for 1 minute more.
“At this point, I like to flip the steak every 30 seconds, as it helps cook [it] evenly,” Mr. Rosenberg said.
After 6 minutes, add your butter and aromatics. Lower the heat first, so it doesn’t burn, and add 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter (“anything more than that is just a waste”), the garlic, and the herbs. Use a spoon to baste the steak with the infused butter for a couple of minutes, until cooked to your liking.
Don’t guess; use a thermometer.
“For medium-rare, pull the steak out when it hits about 125 degrees F,“ Mr. Rosenberg said. ”The resting period will carry over the cooking to the sweet spot.”
The Home Stretch
Let the steak rest. Depending on size and thickness, give it at least 5 to 8 minutes so the juices can spread evenly in the steak, the muscle tissues relax, and the residual temperature finishes cooking the meat. Mr. Rosenberg likes to flip the steak halfway through the resting time for even heat distribution.Finish with flaky salt and slice the meat against the grain for more tender bites.
Mr. Rosenberg has one final tip: Keep practicing. “Learn from your mistakes, because you will make many,” he said. “Buy less expensive steaks in the beginning until you feel comfortable pulling the trigger on a large bone-in ribeye!”
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