- 6 months ago
It’s steak o’clock with Martha Stewart! In this mouthwatering video, Martha shares her favorite ways to prepare three iconic cuts: a perfectly pan-seared ribeye, elegant beef tenderloin, and bold, juicy cowboy steak. From seasoning to searing, learn Martha’s trusted techniques for cooking steak to perfection at home.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Pan searing steak. This is a very simple lesson and I just want to talk to you a little bit
00:06about some of the things that you should know before you start to pan sear. One is the meat
00:12itself. Choose meat from the middle loin and this is a beautiful, beautiful steak. It's called a
00:20strip steak. It has no bone, has a little bit of fat right here on both these pieces. I'm just
00:26going to leave it. It's a nice thing to throw to the dogs after the meal. Make sure the meat is
00:32room temperature. Bring it out of the refrigerator about an hour before you're going to cook and dry
00:38the meat very well with paper toweling before you start to cook. The pan itself. This is a well-seasoned
00:47cast iron pan. Really hot and you just throw a drop of water like that. That's what you want.
00:53Sizzling hot, not smoking. Okay, about a tablespoon of butter for each steak. We're doing two.
01:05And basically it's going to take four minutes per side. Okay, now season with salt and pepper.
01:13And the reason that you dry the meat is because we do not want to steam the meat. We want to sear it.
01:21So any moisture will tend to collect underneath the meat and cause steam. And I'm using a generous
01:30amount of salt and pepper. Not too much, but just enough. And that little bit of butter really helps
01:39the caramelization of this surface of the meat. Don't ever season the meat before you're ready to
01:46put it in the pan. That will cause the juices to leach and you don't want that. You don't want any
01:51oozing juices. These are inch thick steaks, by the way. I always find it very amusing. You know how
01:59at the grill when the guys are pressing down on the meat with the spatula? That's why use tongs instead.
02:06Don't go pressing down on the meat. It doesn't need to be pressed. Four minutes, then it will be ready to turn.
02:13The reason I'm using cast iron is because they heat evenly very, very well. You can use a nice thick
02:20bottomed stainless steel pan too. It works, but this works better. And another thing that really helps you
02:27cook the perfect steak is an instant read meat thermometer. If you insert it into the middle of
02:33that cut of steak, 115 to 120 for rare, 125 for medium rare, and 135 to 140 for medium. I think it is time to
02:46turn the steak. Look at that perfect color. You see, I didn't move it and look at the great color that we
02:56achieved. It's tempting to move, tempting to poke, press, whatever, but don't bother.
03:05Time is up. I'm going to test the internal temperature, which is 125. It's done.
03:15That looks very good. So let them rest for a few minutes. Now we'll make a little bit of
03:23sauce from the pan drippings, quarter of a cup of vermouth and cook until the liquid is almost reduced.
03:31It's about 40 seconds or so. I have to stand back so I don't get splattered.
03:39Quarter of a cup of heavy cream and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
03:44Add your heavy cream.
03:55Oh, does that smell really good?
03:58The sauce looks very good. The steaks have rested. You can serve this with a baked potato,
04:06sauteed spinach, broccoli rabe. I love steak with some green vegetable.
04:15And I have some fresh asparagus right from the garden to serve with these.
04:20So you have a dinner in approximately 10 minutes. I think I could sit down and eat that right now.
04:32And now just a little bit of this delectable sauce. And I'm just going to put it off to the side here,
04:38like that. And here you have a gorgeous steak dinner. Your family's going to think they went
04:46to the very best steak restaurant. In the early 19th century, porter houses provided
04:52a place for coaches to stop so travelers could dine. At one such establishment in New York City,
04:58a special cut of steak was served that later became known as a porterhouse, offering the best of both
05:04worlds. This cut has the flavorful strip steak on one side and the tenderloin on the other.
05:11You can see it right here. This is the tenderloin and this is the strip, but the bone is intact.
05:18We're going to serve this steak with a compound butter. And we're using a half a pound or two sticks
05:25of room temperature unsalted butter. And to that butter, we're adding about two teaspoons of chopped
05:32chives. Just add those right in. I love how that looks. And about a tablespoon of parsley and about
05:40two teaspoons of thyme. And you stir this up. I always put a little bit of pepper in my butter
05:49and a little bit of salt. By using unsalted butter, you control the saltiness. Now this can be made way in
05:58advance and put right in the freezer. This butter is delectable melted into the cooked meat. And form this
06:13into a cylinder in the parchment. Roll it up. As it gets cold, it'll hold its shape. And then you can twist
06:23the ends and tie them. Put this in a plastic bag and it can sit in the freezer for a few weeks.
06:31So now the steak itself. A porterhouse is the same cut as a t-bone but from farther back on the animal
06:39so that it contains more tenderloin. This part right here. And this is a gorgeous piece of meat.
06:45I love this steak and it's very well marbled. Rub the outside with salt and pepper. Both sides.
06:53Have your cast iron searing skillet heating right beside you. Dry the meat well with a paper towel
07:01if you find it moist. This is pretty well dried so it will not brown as nicely or sear as nicely if
07:08you try to cook it wet. So this is basically ready to go. If you hear a great sizzle, you know that
07:17you're caramelizing the outside of the steak. Yes. Perfect. The reason for the high heat under this pan
07:25is to make a crust on the outside of the meat. Now if the meat were not as well marbled as it is,
07:31I would have added a little bit of oil to the pan just to prevent any sticking. Searing really does
07:37help adhere the seasonings, the salt and pepper, to the meat. Four minutes per side. Be sure to wait
07:44until the steaks release easily from the pan before turning the steaks. Ah, now that is a really good sear.
07:56And this is where the cast iron skillet really comes in handy. It is doing its job. Make sure your oven,
08:04by the way, is preheated to 425 degrees. This steak is going to go right into the oven for about 10 to 12
08:12minutes. For medium rare, remove the steak from the oven when it reaches 120 degrees, since the internal
08:18temperature of the steak will rise about 7 to 10 degrees after you've taken it out of the oven. So be
08:25very careful. It's been 12 minutes. The steak looks incredible. Don't you think? Now it's important to
08:37remove the steak from the pan onto a cutting board like this. And it has to rest for about 10 minutes.
08:46Resting the steak equalizes the internal temperature of the meat, and the juices are reabsorbed into the meat,
08:54not in this little moat around the board. So 10 minutes. Don't rush it. So one two-pound porterhouse
09:04will yield quite a bit of meat. I would say that this steak would serve generously three people. Cut the
09:12meat across the grain. So utterly beautiful. And this meat can be arrayed on the platter.
09:22And this is the tender, tenderloin. You can put some beautiful vegetables on this platter, or you can
09:31serve the meat as is. But this is the compound butter. That is a really great-looking quarterhouse steak.
09:41All you need is a really good glass of your favorite Cabernet, and you have an unforgettable meal. Enjoy.
09:49The first thing we have to do is make sure that it is trimmed correctly. The butcher can do this for you,
09:55but a trimmed tenderloin, I find, costs a lot more than an untrimmed. It's easy. You unwrap it and cut
10:03out these big pieces of fat. Try not to remove any of the meat. Just carefully, carefully take off the fat
10:11and any of this sinew that you'll find. And then the ingredients. Well, it is a tenderloin and it weighs
10:19about four to five pounds when trimmed and tied. Green peppercorns, which add a very interesting flavor
10:26to the meat, salt, olive oil. That's it. The equipment you need is a pan large enough in which to brown it,
10:33and a tray with a rack large enough to roast it. And the oven, 475 degrees. I'm going to show you how to
10:43roast this piece right now. So now the fat has been removed from our beautiful tenderloin of beef.
10:50We want to remove this long chain. This can be cooked up as little minute steaks. It can be ground
10:56for just a wonderful hamburger. But this is attached way up to about here on the tenderloin. Just trim it
11:03off. What we're trying to do is make as even a tenderloin as possible. Now this little tail can be
11:11tied right here. Once tied, it's all going to look pretty much uniform. And tying is a little bit of a
11:18process. Take your string, this is cotton twine, butcher string, and tie a knot right here. Be firm.
11:29And then you take it over your hand like this and over the meat and separate it, oh, about every
11:36inch or so. You see, what I'm doing is fun to do this. Pull it tautly, see, and then do that again.
11:44Butchers do this so quickly. One, two, three, and the whole thing is tied up. I learned a lot of it
11:55from my great uncle Vichy Joe in Jersey City, New Jersey, where Vichy Joe had a prime butcher shop.
12:02And so this is how you do it. Isn't that nice and neat? And then take your string and go
12:10underneath each one of these. And remember to bring the meat to room temperature before you start to
12:18cook it. That way you're assured that the inside will cook at the same time as the outside. So here we
12:24have the meat and now what to put on the meat. The green peppercorns, about one tablespoon, just kind
12:33of crushed in a mortar and pestle. They come packed in brine, so they're a little moist, but easily
12:39crushed. They have a nice fruity flavor and pungent flavor, which is nice on the delay. And now rub with
12:46olive oil all over. This is very important because we're going to brown this on a griddle pan. And
12:56it won't stick if you have the olive oil on it. And now the salt. Sprinkle the meat with, oh, at least a
13:02tablespoon of salt all over. This really does help flavor the meat and prepares it for roasting.
13:11And then the green peppercorns. Again, rub those in.
13:20They're not going to stick as easily, but you'll have these rubbing the wonderful crushed flavor
13:28into the meat itself. Now put this on the heated griddle pan. It's going to splutter and splatter.
13:35And being dry will really help sear the meat instead of steaming the meat. Looks good.
13:47And let it just stay there. Don't be impatient. It's going to take about three minutes per side to
13:54brown it correctly. And this is a very clever way to do it on the griddle pan because most people do
14:00not have a pan in which this will fit, including meat. Oh, you will see how nicely this meat is
14:10getting a gorgeous color. Now the meat tells you when it's ready to be turned. If you try to turn it
14:16and it's still sticking, do not try to turn it. It is, it comes right off the griddle when it is ready.
14:23That brown, beautiful, almost caramelized surface on the meat. Oh, lovely.
14:35And this is the pan that I have prepared for it to go into the oven. This is an oven rack and this is
14:41just a cookie sheet. It's perfect for this because the air circulation under the rack will allow the
14:46meat to cook more evenly and roast the meat in a conventional oven at 475 degrees preheated, of course.
14:54And if you have a convection oven, which is the best way to cook a piece of meat like this, reduce the
14:59temperature to 450 degrees. I think it's ready to turn. I'm trying to brown the meat really nicely on all sides.
15:09We've browned the meat enough. Turn off the griddle pan
15:13and remove the meat immediately to the rack.
15:20Looks good. Right into the oven. It's going to take anywhere from 15 minutes to maybe 20-25 minutes
15:29to cook the meat to a temperature, internal temperature of 125 degrees. You don't want to over cook it
15:37and it will continue to cook once it's removed from the oven. I have a couple green peppercorns I'm just
15:42going to put on top and into the oven.
15:46Now this is what a finished fillet looks like. It's been resting here on the board for 10 minutes.
15:56Remove all the string and I find it just snipping each string really is the easiest way to
16:02get rid of it. It smells good, it looks good, and I'm sure it tastes good.
16:11So here, just remove every last vestige of string. You don't want to be feeding anybody any string.
16:19Oh, and I don't know if I told you, when you buy the meat, make sure that the meat is soft. If it's too
16:25hard to the touch, it might mean that it is full of fat on the inside and you don't want that.
16:31And now for slicing, with a very sharp knife, slice into beautiful pieces about a quarter of an inch
16:40thick. Now that is a beautiful fillet. Weighing in at around two and a half pounds and several inches
16:49thick. A cowboy steak like this, well, it will certainly make a statement when brought to the table.
16:54Cut from the bone-in ribeye with a single bone left attached. It's thick and perfectly marbled.
17:01And because it's a relatively expensive cut of meat, you'll want to make sure you cook it perfectly.
17:07Let me show you how. So make sure, first off, that once you've trimmed any excess fat from this
17:14beautiful piece of meat, you dry it with a paper towel. Rub it all over with just a little bit
17:22of safflower oil. Just a tiny drizzle here and there, but coating the meat. And have your
17:30griddle pan really hot. Now a sprinkling of coarse salt.
17:37Rubbed in with some freshly ground black pepper on both sides of the meat. And rub a little bit
17:43around the outside too. And if you don't want this pretty bone to burn, just wrap it in a piece of
17:52aluminum foil. This will keep from burning. So ready to start cooking. Place it one side down
18:01in your hot griddle pan. The bone like this is called Frenched because you've taken all the meat off the bone
18:08and left it exposed. One of the most common mistakes home cooks make is under salting
18:14meat like this. You're only seasoning the surface of the steak, which means there's a significant
18:19portion of the meat that has no salt on it at all. All the interior meat. You want to make sure there's
18:24enough salt on the surface to perfectly season each bite. And safflower oil that I rubbed on the meat is a
18:32good oil to use because it has a high smoke point. It's flavorless, colorless, and it's expressed from
18:38the seed of the safflower. Now I'm not going to move this for two and a half minutes. So while it's
18:44cooking, I want to tell you that rib cuts are known for being fine grained with generous marbling
18:50throughout. And it is one of the most tender beef cuts and is a favorite for grilling as the bone in
18:56keeps the meat extra moist and flavorful. This deep marbling gives the steak a slightly higher
19:02fat content than other cuts, making it extremely juicy. So now we're going to turn the meat at two
19:10and a half minutes so that we get a really nice crisscross marking on it.
19:20And now another two and a half minutes. A grill pan like this is a practical and convenient indoor
19:26alternative to a gas or charcoal grill. Although you won't get that same charring and you won't get
19:31that flavoring from the wood or charcoal fire. But those ridges are really good because they allow
19:37the fat to drip off the meat. And your oven must be preheated to 425 degrees because this meat's going
19:45to go in for 12 to 15 minutes after it is browned like this. How does it look?
19:50Really professional. I love that crisscross. If you are cooking this outdoors, use the direct heat to do the
20:01first 10 minutes. That's the direct heat. And then move it to indirect heat to finish the cooking.
20:07Just like putting it into the oven. So two and a half minutes, we turn again.
20:12So there we are ready. The second two and a half minutes on this side. Now transfer the meat to a rack
20:29in a shallow pan like this. Another secret of good steak making is there's always air around the meat.
20:36Now this goes right into your 425 degree preheated oven 12 to 14 minutes. It has to reach 125 degrees
20:45in the middle of the interior for medium rare. So now I've had the steak tented for 10 minutes.
20:53It's rested and it is ready to eat. Remove the foil around the French bone and you can move the steak
21:03now to a cutting board. This steak has to rest for 10 minutes just so that all the juices
21:10redistribute throughout the meat. If you cut it right away, a lot of those juices will just pour
21:16right out. So I think shoestring fries, a sharp knife and fork. If you have a big cowboy in your house,
21:24this will do for his dinner. But I think it would serve two very nicely. And this may be the best steak
21:32you'll ever eat. Enjoy.
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