Fire Up Your Cast Iron Skillet for the Best. Steak. Ever. - two dandelions (2024)

In the great steak debate, I’m siding with the cast iron skillet contingency. Up until a few years ago, I would have always said I preferred a grilled steak. Over the last couple of years, however, I’ve changed my mind. We (a stretch– really my husband) have perfected the cast iron method, initially out of convenience and now out of preference.

Why is it so good? Cast iron heats very evenly and retains heat well. Because of this, you’ll achieve a crispy, golden-brown crust on the outside while also cooking the inside to perfection. We sear our steaks in the cast iron skillet and finish them in the oven to the temperature we prefer.

A Good Foundation

The first important step is to buy a good steak. USDA Prime makes all of the difference. In our younger, more foolish days, we selected steaks with as little fat as possible. Now understanding the benefit of good marbling, we look for USDA Prime steaks.

After a mandatory inspection from the US Food Safety and Inspection Service to ensure a meat’s safety for consumption, a meat processor can pay an extra a fee to have their beef graded by the USDA. The USDA then assigns each beef carcass one of eight quality grades.

These grades represent the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of the particular carcass of meat being graded. Thehighest grade that a beef carcass can be ranked by the USDA isUSDA Prime. USDA Prime isknown for being juicy, flavorful, and tender. It has the highest level of marbling. Marbling is a positive attribute that shows a higher level of flavor will be present in the cut of meat; it refers to the white flecks of intramuscular fat – but not the large veins of fat along the sides of some cuts of steak, such as a New York strip.

Some grocery stores do not sell USDA Prime, but a high end grocery store or butcher will usually have it. USDA Prime Beef is the type of meat most commonly found in very high end steak restaurants. It is expensive, but worth it, especially because we don’t eat steak that often. The second grade of USDA beef is USDA Choice; it is usually also flavorful and juicy, but not to the level of USDA Prime. If you want the best steak experience, use USDA Prime.

I would recommend buying steak that is at least one and a quarter inches thick to allow for even doneness.

The Skillet

A seasoned cast iron skillet is critical to a successful steak. You can buy skillets that are advertised as already seasoned but it is much better to do it yourself. It isn’t difficult to season; it just takes some time:

How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet

Season the Steaks

We’ve found that you always have to be a little more generous with the seasoning than you think. We use salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Best not to season until immediately before you cook the steaks unless you want “dry brine” by heavily salting at least 6 to 24 hours before you cook (that is a whole other article). You’ll notice one of these steaks (both cuts are New York strips) has the outer fat fat ring trimmed completely off (my husband’s preference) while the other does not (my preference).

Preheat the Skillet and Oven

Because we’re going to finish the steaks in the oven, preheat your oven to 225 degrees and have your instant-read cooking thermometer ready. A quality instant-read thermometer is a must; a favorite of professionals (and my husband) is the Thermapen by ThermoWorks. I’ve also used this one and it seems to be accurate and is very affordable:

Sear the Steaks

Pour two tablespoons of cooking oil with a very high smoke in your cast iron skillet; we use avocado oil, but olive oil will work also. Preheat the oil to a very high temperature. Place the steaks in the very hot pre-heated cast iron skillet. Your goal is to cook each side on very high heat until you get a thick, brown crust on each side of the steak from the Maillard reaction. Usually about three minutes per side if your pan is sufficiently hot (very important).

Transfer the steaks to the pre-heated oven still sitting in the cast iron skillet.

Check the Temperature

Remove steaks from the oven when they reach the desired temperature. We don’t cut into the steak to see how done it is because amazing juices will escape, plus the instant read thermometer is the most accurate measure. For a juicy, pink center (between Medium Rare and Medium) we remove the steaks when the thickest part reads about 120 degrees because the steaks keeps rising in temperature for a few minutes even after it is removed from the oven.

Rest, Rest, Rest

After they are out of the oven, immediately remove the steaks from the cast iron skillet so they stop cooking. It is imperative to allow the steaks to rest on a plate for 5-7 minutes to seal in the juices. Serve with desired accompaniments. This time we selected baked sweet potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts and a simple salad. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!