Gordon Ramsay - How To Prepare Steak

1. Preparation: Start by taking your steak out of the refrigerator and allowing it to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. This ensures even cooking.
2. Seasoning: Generously season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. This step is crucial for enhancing the steak’s natural flavors.
3. Pan Preheating: Heat a heavy skillet or a grill pan over high heat. You want the pan to be extremely hot.
4. Cooking the Steak: Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan, then carefully place the steak in the pan. Allow it to sear without moving it for a couple of minutes. Flip the steak and sear the other side.
5. Butter and Aromatics: Add a few knobs of unsalted butter to the pan, along with smashed garlic cloves (if desired). Tilt the pan and use a spoon to baste the steak with the melted butter. This step imparts fantastic flavor and keeps the steak moist.
6. Resting: Once the steak reaches your desired level of doneness (use a meat thermometer for precision), remove it from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a juicy steak.

Why is it important to let the steak come to room temperature before cooking, as per Gordon Ramsay’s recipe?

1. Even Cooking: A steak that’s at room temperature will cook more evenly. If you cook a cold steak straight from the refrigerator, the center will remain colder than the outer layers, leading to uneven cooking. By allowing the steak to warm up to room temperature, you ensure that the entire cut cooks consistently.
2. Faster Cooking: A room temperature steak will cook more quickly than a cold one. When the steak is cold, it takes longer for the center to reach the desired level of doneness. Letting it warm up slightly reduces the time needed for cooking, which helps prevent overcooking the exterior while waiting for the center to cook.
3. Better Searing: Searing a steak is essential for creating a flavorful crust on the outside. When the steak is at room temperature, it sears more effectively. A cold steak added to a hot pan can cool down the pan temperature, making it harder to achieve a proper sear.
4. Tenderness: Allowing the steak to come to room temperature helps relax the muscle fibers. This makes the meat more tender and less likely to become tough during the cooking process.
5. Juiciness: Starting with a warmer steak helps retain more of its natural juices. If you cook a cold steak, the temperature difference between the exterior and the center can cause the juices to rush to the center, leaving the outer layers drier.

What role does butter play in cooking a steak?

1. Flavor Enhancement: Butter is known for its rich, creamy, and slightly nutty flavor. When used in cooking a steak, it adds an extra layer of deliciousness to the meat. The combination of the steak’s juices, seasonings, and the buttery baste creates a mouthwatering taste that elevates the overall flavor profile of the dish.
2. Moisture and Juiciness: Butter adds moisture to the steak, which is especially important in methods where the steak is cooked at high temperatures, like searing. As the butter melts, it coats the steak, helping to prevent excessive drying out, particularly on the surface. The result is a steak that’s more succulent and less likely to become tough.
3. Searing Aid: When butter is used in combination with oil (such as olive oil), it can help with the searing process. The butter contributes to a beautiful brown crust, often called the Maillard reaction, which enhances the appearance, texture, and flavor of the steak.
4. Aromatics: Many recipes suggest adding aromatics like garlic and herbs to the butter while cooking the steak. As the butter melts and infuses with these flavors, it imparts a fragrant and enticing aroma to the steak, making it even more appetizing.
5. Basting: Basting is a technique where you spoon melted butter (and often other flavorings) over the steak as it cooks. This not only imparts flavor but also helps keep the steak moist and distributes the buttery goodness evenly.
6. Finishing Touch: Adding a small pat of butter to the steak after it’s removed from the heat (called “mounting” with butter) can add a luscious final touch. The residual heat melts the butter, creating a glossy coating that adds richness and enhances the overall presentation.