The perfect pan seared steak

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If you want to cook the perfect pan-seared steak at home, you’ve come to the right place.

Prep Time1 10

Cook Time5

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Australian

Servings:

Season steak: Bring the steak to room temperature by taking it out of the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking it. Immediately season with salt. Before cooking, season with black pepper on both sides.
Cook & baste: On a very high heat, bring a cast iron pan to heat and drizzle with the oil. When there is a slight haze coming from the pan, place your steak into it. Cook for 2 - 2.5 minutes until you get a golden and caramalised crust. Turn the steak over and cook for 2 minutes. After 45 - 60 seconds, toss in the garlic, butter, thyme and rosemary. Allow the butter to melt and baste the steak with the butter while it continues to cook.
Rest: Take the steak off the pan, pour over the butter from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Leave to rest for 5 - 10 minutes before slicing into it.
Serve: Serve immediately with the steak and fries and an extra sprinkling of tarragon.

- Scotch Fillet Steak (Ribeye in the US): This is the star of the show, and it’s my absolute favourite cut for pan-searing. Scotch fillet (or ribeye, as it’s called in the US) is known for its beautiful marbling of fat that runs through the meat. That marbling means extra flavour and tenderness—when you cook it, the fat melts into the steak, keeping it juicy and rich. It’s also an easy cut to find at most supermarkets and butchers, which makes it ideal for the home cook. If you want to nail that golden, caramelised crust with a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth centre, this is the cut for you.
- Bring your steak to room temperature Take it out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking for a more even cook and a juicier result. If you can, salt the steak as soon as you take it out of the fridge as the salt will penetrate into the meat, making it extra juicy!

- Season generously: Don’t hold back on salt and pepper—it boosts flavour, helps with tenderness, and builds a beautiful crust. Alternatively, you can hold off on the pepper until after the steak has been cooked as it can potentially burn when being cooked on such a high heat. But I like to pepper my steak early on!

- Get the pan smoking hot: A cast iron is best, but a non-stick works too. Wait for a haze of smoke before adding the steak to get that perfect sear. Use a neutral oil that has a high smoke point to cook the steak!

- Don’t touch it: Once the steak hits the pan, leave it alone! Moving it too soon disrupts the sear and crust.

- Use aromatics: Fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic add incredible flavour to your steak and the butter sauce you’ll drizzle over at the end.

- Baste, baste, baste: Basting with butter builds flavour and keeps the steak juicy as it cooks.

- Timing is everything: Every steak is different, so learn by feel. For medium-rare, the steak should feel soft with a slight bounce—like the base of your thumb.

- Rest your steak: Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing to lock in those juices!

- Flavour: Flavour the steak with a jazzed up garlic confit butter, pan fried mushrooms or a delicious cowboy butter sauce and whatever you do, don't toss away those lovely buttery juices from the pan. Drizzle it over the steak while it's resting.