How To Cook A Restaurant-Quality Steak (Step-By-Step)

Try this recipe for a restaurant-quality steak in about 10 minutes. It’s simple, yet incredibly delicious. It may seem a little intimidating, but don’t let it. Anyone can grill like a pro!  (Credit goes to my dear friend Anita.) 

How To Cook A Restaurant-Quality Steak.

For best results to a restaurant-quality steak, start with top-quality cuts of meat (organic, if you can source it feasibly). Then sear (AKA, Maillard reaction) the steak on the grill, and cook the rest in a pan with garlic butter sauce to perfection. And yes, it will set you back a few bucks, but it pays for itself many times over to have high-quality meat. Because masking it with heavy sauce and spices is the wrong thing to do. 

Cook Time: ~ 10 Mins 

Prep Time: ~ 10 Mins 

Total Cost: ~ $25 

Cookware And Equipment: 

  • A Grill 
  • BBQ Tongs 
  • A Pan (Stainless-Steel Pan is preferred) 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 New York strip steak or rib-eye steak (about 1 to 1.5 inch thick); organic meat if you can source it 
  • Olive Oil (~1 tablespoon)  
  • Kosher Salt or Coarse Large-grained Salt (~1 teaspoon)  
  • Ground Black Pepper (~1 teaspoon)  
  • Lime Wedge  

Ingredients For the Garlic Butter Sauce: 

  • 3 Oz Butter (Irish butter (Kerrygold) is preferred) 
  • 3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary  
  • 1 Entire Garlic  

Instructions: 

1. Prep: Prep the steak by trimming off some of the undesirable fat. 

2. Pat dry: Dab dry both sides of the steak with paper towels before seasoning. 

3. Season the steak:  

a. Generously, coat all sides of the steak with oil. Olive oil or avocado oil works great.

b. Then sprinkle and coat the steak liberally and evenly with salt and pepper (try not to be skimpy here). Then, let it marinade at room temperature for about 45 to 60 minutes before cooking. That way, the steak also comes to room temperature, which allows it to cook more evenly.

4. Preheat the grill: Light a good fire! Turn on the grill until it’s piping hot, around 550F (288C). 

5. Grill: Grill the steak for about 2.5 to 3 minutes per side. Basically, you just want to sear the steak for flavor (this searing method is know as the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that creates complex flavors and aromas that isn’t possible to achieve, otherwise). Also, if you’re anything like me and you are going for that picture-perfect diamond-shaped grill mark, then you’d want to rotate the steak about 90 degrees, halfway through the first 2.5 minutes. After that, flip the steak and repeat. Follow this link for a picture-perfect diamond-shaped (criss-cross/cross-hatch) grill marks!

a. Picture-perfect diamond-shaped (criss-cross/cross-hatch) grill marks.

6. Preheat the pan: You can preheat the pan on the grill, simultaneously, while you’re grilling the steak. That way, you can transfer the steak to it when the time comes. See temperature doneness below. I like medium-rare (rosy-pink) where the meat is juicy and not tough. 

7. Add butter and aromatics to the pan and continue to cook the steak:  

  • To do this, melt the butter and swirl it to coat the pan.  
  • Then toss in the garlic; then go in with the rosemary;  
  • Then, transfer the steak from the grill and continue to cook it in the garlic butter bath. When possible, keep basting the steak with the garlic butter sauce. This allows the steak to soak up the aromatic of the butter, garlic, and rosemary, while you dial in to the desired doneness. Use a thermometer to check on the doneness. (See table below for doneness temperature). 
  • (Optional) If you would like to further bring out even more aromatic from the rosemary, you could torch it. Here’s how you’d do it. This will take it to the next level. 

8. Remove the steak and let it rest:  

  • Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it continue the cooking process for about 5 minutes before serving. (Note: if you need to cook just a tad more, cover the steak with the aluminum foil; this will do the trick). 
  • Again, keep in mind that during the resting and cooling down period, the steak continues to cook the inside. And during the resting period, it also holds in the juice. 

Serve: 

  • Slice the steak into thin strips, then fan out the slices. 
  • Squeeze some lime juice and sprinkle crushed black pepper over the steak to taste. 
  • Drizzle liberally with some of that aromatic butter sauce goodness left over from the pan and serve!  

Note On Doneness Temperatures: 

  • ~125F (~52C) – Rare 
  • ~135F (~57C) – Medium-Rare 
  • ~145F (~63C) – Medium 
  • ~150F (~66C) – Medium-Well