Pan-seared steak
The classic pan-seared steak (the best kinda steak in my opinion)
This one’s your restaurant style steak. Start with your steak at room temperature, never straight from the fridge. Oil and salt the meat itself (not the pan), then render the fat first for that golden edge. If you salt and oil the pan, it can cook unevenly, and nobody wants that.
You want that ‘tssss’ sound when it hits the pan, that’s the sound of caramelisation on your fat happening. And pleasssse, avoid moving it around too much. Let it sit, sear, and do its thing. Add your butter, crushed garlic (in the skin), rosemary and thyme, and baste it during the last 10 seconds.
Always baste toward you to avoid the splatter, your arms and face will thank you. Rest for as long as you cooked it, then pour that glorious garlic-herb butter over the top.
The cut
Now, this wasn’t your cheap-as-chips cut of meat. I went big. A proper, meaty sirloin that I cut into four thick, juicy steaks, roughly 345g each. Once you’ve portioned it out, it actually feels like a bit of a steal. But if you’re cooking for two, honestly, just grab a couple of ready-cut sirloins from your local supermarket, they’ll still do the job beautifully. Pop to the butchers for a treat!
Verdict: This one’s the crowd-pleaser and firm favourite. Buttery, caramelised, rich, and everything you want from steak night. The whole team agreed, this method is the outright winner. Off-screen, this steak got absolutely demolished.
Rating: 8/10
Serving suggestions
I absolutely love steak alongside creamy mashed potatoes, tenderstem broccoli and a classic peppercorn sauce. Nothing overly fancy, nothing too taxing, just some added carbs and veg. I can’t tell you how much I’ll enjoy a piece of rare steak once this baby is born!
Watch me trial 3 steak methods over on YouTube
If you want to watch me make a pan-seared steak, a reverse-seared steak and air fryer steak, you can view the full video on my YouTube channel. See every step, and watch me almost cry eating well-done slices because I’m pregnant and not allowed to eat the rare (and more delicious) slices.
Pan-seared steak
By Poppy Cooks
https://www.poppycooks.com/recipes/pan-seared-steak/
Ingredients
- 2 x 300g thick sirloin steaks
- 50g butter, cubed
- 3 cloves garlic, bashed
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- Salt, pepper and olive oil
Metric
Imperial
Instructions
- Place a large frying pan over a high heat and get the pan HOT! Season the steaks generously with salt and drizzle with oil.
- Place the steaks into the pan, fat side down to begin with, and allow to cook and sizzle until golden brown and the fat has rendered out. Then turn the steaks on their side and pan fry for 2 minutes - get the timer out for this step, it really helps! Try not to fuss or move the steak, you want the caramelisation.
- Flip the steak and chuck in the butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Fry for 1 minute on the other side for a good medium rare. Season the steak with black pepper and baste well with the butter as it starts to foam and turn golden brown for the last 10 seconds or so of cooking.
- Remove the steak from the pan onto a wire rack over a plate and pour over the garlic, herbs and butter. Leave to rest for 3-4 minutes before carving. Sprinkle with a final bit of flaky salt before serving.