What’s the best way to cook a steak? For me it has generally involved high temperatures on a charcoal grill, or searing in a cast iron skillet and finishing underneath the broiler, set on High. With some nice, fresh Ribeyes needing to be cooked tonight, I was searching the internet for guidance. In the eGullet forums, I found a better way of doing it.

The poster quoted famous French chef Alain Ducasse in a NY Times article from 2002 in which he compared his method of cooking steaks to the typical high heat Midwestern way of doing it.

I’m not interested in carbonizing the surface of the meat. To me that ruins the flavor.

Instead of hellish temperatures, and visible flames, this article claimed that the best way to cook a steak was over medium heat in a skillet bathed in butter.  This more  moderate approach allows for even cooking and a great flavor because of the Maillard Reaction. Suddenly my simple meal of modest Ribeye and potatoes required a science lesson.

This technique requires a little more care.  The steak is first cooked on its edge to render some of the beef fat and lubricate the pan, then flipped onto its side and cooked in its own fat for a few minutes.  Then the fat is poured out and a lot of butter is added.  A LOT of butter.

I had my doubts.  I worried that the relatively long cooking times would mean the steaks would cook past medium rare.  I worried that all I was going to taste was butter.  And mostly I worried I hadn’t been gluttonous enough.  Ducasse recommended a steak that was 24 ounces and an inch and half thick.  The one I picked up was only 16 ounces and only an inch and a quarter, which is still more than I need to eat on a normal night.

I adjusted the cooking times, hoping that I could still get a nice a rare steak, but I was just a little off.  Mine got just a tad too close to medium, which makes me wonder whether this technique is only good at cooking insanely big steaks. But I think the technique is right.  Next time I might start with butter sooner in the process, flip more often, and pay just a little more attention to it.  Because once you see this crust, man…it’s hard to look away.

The Butter Steak Technique

• 2 16-ounce Ribeye
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper

I set an iron skillet over medium heat.  Then I set the ribeye on its fatty edge upright in the skillet.

I cooked it for about 5 minutes until it had rendered a decent amount of fat.

I flipped it on to one flat side and cook it for about 5 minutes.  Then flipped it and cooked it for about 3 more.

I removed the steak, poured off the beef fat, and added the butter and garlic.

The steak was returned to the skillet on the side it had cooked on the least, sprinkled with salt, and cooked for about 6 minutes.  During that time I basted it continuously with the butter.  Then I flipped it, sprinkled that side with salt, and cooked it for about 3 minutes continuing to baste it with butter.

It then rested for about 10 minutes.  Ducasse’s rule of thumb is that it need half as long as it takes to cook the meat.  It was seasoned with more salt and pepper and sliced up.

As you can (sort of) see, I cooked mine just a tad too much.  The middle is past red and into a muted pink territory.  There is a definite band of pink though and the crust excellent.