I Asked 4 Chefs the Best Way To Cook Steak—They All Said the Same Thing

Cooking a steak dinner at home is not for the faint of heart. It can be difficult—requiring a good sear and the insides cooked to the perfect doneness. A lot can go wrong, and it’s easy to feel discouraged after many failed attempts. 

Over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about steak: pull the meat from the fridge ahead of time so that it comes to room temperature, create a dry brine with coarse salt, and allow the steak to rest after cooking to retain its juices. However, I still feel underprepared every time I make it.

So, I reached out to the steak experts to help bring my steaks to the next level. With countless opinions on the subject available online, it was quite refreshing to get this information directly from experts who cook steak for a living. And to my surprise, they all said the same thing. 

The Steak Experts I Spoke To

The Reverse Sear

According to each expert I spoke with, the reverse sear method guarantees a perfectly cooked steak every time.

For a reverse sear, you cook your steak in the oven at a low temperature before finishing it with a high-heat sear on the stovetop. This method allows you to control the meat’s doneness and ensures a more even cook.

After seasoning the steak, Chef Nate recommends placing it on a cold sheet pan and popping it in a 175°F to 195°F oven. (Most home ovens go down to 200°F—you can use this temperature.) Cook the steaks for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the doneness you like. The best way to check is to take the internal temperature of the steaks using an instant-read thermometer: 125°F for rare to 130°F for medium-rare.

Just before the steaks come out of the oven, heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop with a little oil until smoking hot. Then, sear the steaks for 30 to 40 seconds per side.

According to Matt, if you cook steaks using the reverse sear, they “will not need to be rested, and it will be cooked edge to edge to the desired temperature.”

Pull the Steaks Out of the Fridge Ahead of Time

Matt says that the worst thing a cook can do is fail to remove the steaks from the fridge before cooking. He says, “Remove any large steaks from the fridge at least 30 minutes and up to a few hours in advance.”

It removes the chill from the steaks. The goal is to get to an internal temperature of 68°F, but even just 30 minutes on the kitchen counter will make a difference.

Chef Jimmy agrees. “You always want to pull your meat from the refrigerator ahead of time … the closer to room temperature, the more even the cook.”

Joe recommends rubbing the steak with a coarse salt. This will “pull the moisture” and make the meat “even more tender while it reaches room temperature.”