By Laura Mack
April 4, 2016
This is the juiciest, most perfectly seared rib eye steak. Served alongside buttery sauteed mushrooms accented with shallots and chives, it’s savory, beefy goodness at it’s best. This one-skillet meal is ready in about 30 minutes and suitable for everyday eating. It’s also great to serve when you have company that appreciates the beauty of a well-prepared cut of quality beef.
I had planned another recipe to feature today, but I had a strong hankering for steak. Since I get to eat the foods I prepare and shoot for the blog, I made an ‘executive decision’ to bump the other recipe!
The quality of the meat you purchase (all ingredients, actually) makes a difference, both in terms of flavor and your health. Most of the beef I use is from Painted Hills Natural Beef of central Oregon. Although they also have 100% grass-fed beef, I generally buy their “natural beef” which is mostly pasture-raised and grass-fed, but grain-finished. It’s a premium product that tastes fantastic, yet is affordable and easily sourced for me. I purchase it from a local grocery store that carries Painted Hills beef exclusively and features a different cut on sale each week. I stock up when my favorite cuts are on sale, so I often ‘shop’ from my freezer when beef is what’s for dinner. I encourage you to do some checking around to see what quality sources are available in your area.
There are lots of different methods to cook steak. Which method I choose to use often depends on the cut or on the time of year. Don’t we all tend to grill more in the nicer weather? I have an indoor grill as well, but when it comes to rib eye, I prefer to cook it in a skillet. Ribeye has terrific fat and marbeling, which is a good thing, but it can also cause lots of flame-ups on the grill. Using a heavy-duty skillet or cast-iron skillet that is screaming hot produces a great crust and catches all the rendered fat. The method I use is straightforward and fast, without a lot of fussing. I learned it from Cooks Illustrated, and it’s nearly fool-proof, which is what you want when you’re dealing with a relatively expensive cut of meat.
Because rib eye is usually a thicker cut — 1 1/4″ to 1 1/2″ — using medium heat under a heavy-duty pan that has been pre-heating for 10 minutes still gives it a great crust, while also giving the steak enough time to cook through without burning the outside. A heavy-duty skillet or cast iron skillet is important because it needs to hold up to the 10-minute preheat. (A non-stick skillet is not suitable for this purpose.) Some methods involve transferring the skillet to the oven to finish cooking, but searing for a longer period over medium heat gives the same results with less fuss.
I sometimes use seasoning rubs on steaks, but more often I simply season them liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper because I want the beefiness to shine through.
I generally like my steak cooked to medium-rare. However, with rib eye I prefer just shy of medium (internal temperature of about 135F) because slightly longer cooking will render more fat and help the connective tissue break down a little more. Of course, you can cook it more or less to suit your taste. I don’t quite get the point of eating steak well-done, and I’m married to one of ‘those people.’ But, since Dale actually prefers ground beef to steak, I’d rather separately cook a ground beef patty for him than perpetrate a crime against an expensive piece of steak. Just kidding — sort of — you can certainly prepare yours well-done. At least I won’t be there to witness it!
When the steak has finished cooking, I transfer it to a plate or small sheet pan and cover loosely with foil to rest for 10 minutes. This is a critical step because it lets the juices redistribute. If you slice into it too soon, those lovely juices will run out all over your cutting board.
While the rib eye is cooking, I prepare the mushrooms, shallots, and chives. Once I transfer the steak out of the skillet, I cook the mushrooms in the same pan. This serves three purposes. First, it keeps me busy so that I’m not tempted to slice into the rib eye too soon. Second, when the mushrooms render their liquid, it effectively de-glazes the fond (those lovely, crusty bits at the bottom of the pan) and flavors the mushrooms. Third, I have only one pan to clean at the end. Need I say more?
Sometimes, I’ll put a pat of butter on top of my steak before serving, especially if it’s a lean cut such as top sirloin. However, with rib eye having such luscious fat already, I don’t think it needs the butter. Besides, the mushrooms are buttery and contribute that flavor to the mix. What I do love to add is some crumbles of blue cheese and fresh chives for garnish. It breaks up the brown-on-brown look and adds a burst of flavor. I also usually add a green salad with a vinegar- or lemon juice-based dressing, such as my Dijon Vinaigrette. The bright punch of the acid is a nice counterpoint to the rich fat in the rest of the meal.
Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is. Not only does this meal taste even better than it looks, it costs less than half the price of a restaurant. That’s a reason to celebrate, so consider adding a lovely glass of red wine and toast yourself for making such a marvelous dinner!
Perfectly Seared Rib Eye Steak with Sauteed Mushroom
Author: Laura Mack
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 2-3
This is the juiciest, most perfectly seared rib eye steak. Served alongside buttery sauteed mushrooms accented with shallots and chives, it's savory, beefy goodness at it's best. The rib eye cooks 5 minutes on each side for just shy of medium doneness. Adjust the time up or down by 1 minute on each side if you prefer it more well-done or more rare. Serve with a green salad with a vinaigrette dressing for a bright contrast in flavor and texture.
Ingredients
14 to 16 ounce boneless rib eye steak, 1¼" to 1½" thick
½ tablespoon avocado oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Sauteed Mushrooms
8 ounces raw mushrooms, white or cremini
1½ tablespoons minced shallot (about ½ medium)
½ tablespoon avocado oil
½ tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon tamari
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
salt and pepper to taste
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minced fresh chives for garnish, optional
blue cheese crumbles for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Place a heavy-duty 12" skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium heat and let preheat for 10 minutes.
- Pat dry with paper towels and liberally season both sides of the rib eye with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. When the skillet is preheated, add ½ tablespoon avocado oil (or other oil with a high smoke point). Swirl the pan to coat the bottom with the oil. Carefully place the steak in the center of the skillet and set a timer for 5 minutes. Do not disturb the steak.
- While the rib eye is cooking, clean mushrooms, slice about ¼" thick and set aside. When the steak has cooked for 5 minutes on the first side, turn over and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- While the second side is cooking, mince the shallot and chives if you have not already done so. Set aside.
- After 5 minutes of cooking on the second side, remove rib eye to a plate or small sheet pan, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Don't skimp on this step, or your steak will not be as juicy.
- Pour out the fat at the bottom of the skillet and discard. Return skillet to medium heat and add ½ tablespoon avocado oil. Add sliced mushrooms and stir to coat with oil. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid. Stir mushrooms and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the fond (cooked on bits), which will add great savory flavor.
- Turn the heat up to high and let the mushrooms cook until their liquid has evaporated about 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the butter, and cook until the mushrooms are moderately browned, stirring occasionally, another 4-5 minutes.
- Add the minced shallot, stir, and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the shallot is softened.
- Add the dry sherry and cook until it has mostly evaporated about 1-2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, stir in fresh chives, and adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Cover to keep warm.
- Slice steak into ¼" thick slices across the grain and plate along with the mushrooms. Drizzle over any juices that have collected in the bottom of the pan while the steak was resting. Garnish with extra chives and blue cheese crumbles, if desired.
Notes
Nutritional info* per serving:
- For 2 servings: 614 cal, 49 g total fat (72%), 5 g total carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g net carbs, and 38 g protein
- For 3 servings: 410 cal, 33 g total fat (72%), 3.3 g total carbs, 0.8 g fiber, 2.5 g net carbs, and 25 g protein
*I use Living Cookbook 2015, along with package information and data from www.nutritiondata.self.com, to calculate the nutritional information for my recipes. Thus, I can make no guarantees as to the accuracy.
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