How to Cook the Perfect Steak
About this recipe
Cooking the perfect steak is all about technique and timing, and this recipe from Gordon Ramsay breaks it down simply. With just a few quality ingredients and some straightforward steps, you can achieve a beautifully seared steak that’s juicy and flavorful.
The key here is to ensure your steaks are at room temperature before cooking and to use a hot pan for that perfect sear. Ramsay emphasizes the importance of seasoning and basting, which elevate the dish without complicating the process.
Ingredient notes
- Use 2 sirloin steaks for this recipe.
- Garlic should be lightly crushed, not peeled, to enhance the flavor.
- Fresh thyme is recommended for a fragrant touch.
Tips from Hodder Books’s video
- Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to ensure they cook evenly.
- Sear the steaks for about 30 seconds on each side to develop a nice color.
- Render the fat on the back of the sirloin by tilting the pan and letting the hot fat run down the back.
- Turn the steaks every minute for even cooking and to achieve the desired doneness.
Good to know
- How long should I sear the steaks?
- Sear the steaks for about 30 seconds on each side.
- What should I do before cooking the steaks?
- Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature.
- How can I tell when my steak is done?
- For doneness, rare is opposite the palm at the top, medium is in the middle, and well done is at the top of your wrist.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Hodder Books: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature.
- 2
Season the steaks with salt and large grains of black pepper on both sides.
- 3
Heat a pan until it's smoking hot.
- 4
Add olive oil to the pan and lay the steaks away from you to avoid splatter.
- 5
Sear the steaks for about 30 seconds until they develop a nice color.
- 6
Turn the steaks over using tongs and sear the other side for another 30 seconds.
- 7
Render the fat on the back of the sirloin by placing it in the pan and tilting the pan to let the hot fat run down the back.
- 8
Add the lightly crushed garlic to the pan for flavor.
- 9
Turn the steaks every minute to ensure even cooking.
- 10
Add a sprig of fresh thyme to the pan for fragrance.
- 11
For doneness, rare is opposite the palm at the top, medium is in the middle, and well done is at the top of your wrist.
- 12
Add knobs of butter to the pan and baste the steaks with the melted butter, garlic, and thyme.
- 13
Remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The quantity of garlic is inferred as 2 cloves based on typical usage for flavoring steak.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Hodder Books’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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