3 Best Steaks For Frying

Don’t let the thought of frying a steak scare you away from enjoying a juicy, pan-fried steak. It is true that if I have my choice, I prefer a steak grilled over open flames, preferably hardwood lump charcoal.

However, frying steaks in a cast iron skillet are my go-to when the weather is unconducive for outdoor grilling and a steak is calling my name.

What Do I Need?

The first requirement is a good steak, of course. Here is where it can get tricky because everyone has different tastes and ideas but I’ll share my thoughts. Listed below are my top three picks for pan-searing steaks.

1. Boneless Ribeye. Choose a boneless ribeye steak, cut 1 - 1 ½ inches thick. Look for marbling to make a really juicy steak.
2. Filet Mignon. Certainly, you can’t go wrong with a filet. They are the most tender steak and are hard to beat.
3. New York Strip steak. The New York Strip steak is the most economical of the 3 steaks listed but is loaded with flavor and a perfect pick for pan-frying steaks.

Go ahead and spend the money and get yourself a good steak. It will cost you less than eating at a steakhouse uptown and will be even better! Every time I eat a steak at a restaurant I wonder why I did it. I guess I’m partial to our grass-fed beef and my own cooking methods.

Shop our selection of steaks here.

Simple Ingredients Needed For Frying Steak

Now that the hard part of choosing the perfect steak is behind you, all you need are a few simple ingredients and you can get started preparing the perfect pan-fried steak!

1. 1-2 tbsp. Unsalted butter
2. Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
3. Freshly ground Black Pepper
4. 1-2 tbsp. Pecan oil or Olive Oil (pecan oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil)
5. 1 Garlic Clove
6. Instant read thermometer
7. Tin Foil

We prefer to keep the ingredients to a minimum and avoid using marinades so we can enjoy the full beefy flavor of our grass-fed steaks. For the perfect pan-fried steak, use a cast iron skillet.

Step-By-Step Instructions For Pan-Frying Steak

1. Get the steak out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. This will allow the steak to reach room temperature and allow for even cooking. Place steaks on a pan or plate and pat them dry with paper towels. Drying the steaks will ensure a delicious, crispy crust. My pet peeve when cooking steaks is that the accompanying sides are not ready when the steaks are. Make sure any and all side dishes are taken care of before you start cooking steaks so that as soon as the steaks are ready to be eaten, everything else is in place. Frying steaks go quickly so allow 10-15 minutes total time from the start of frying to being ready to eat.
2. Lightly rub pecan oil, or olive oil on the surface of the steaks and then generously season with salt and pepper. Remember: a steak has six sides! Top and bottom, two sides, and the two ends. They all need to be seasoned.
3. Preheat your cast-iron skillet on high heat. When the skillet starts smoking a little, it is ready to use.
4. Add pecan oil to the skillet. Gently lay the steaks on the skillet and cook until your steak has a nice crust to it. (within a minute it should be ready to flip) Flip the steak and sear the other side as well as the edges.
5. Add the butter and minced garlic to the skillet flipping the steaks to coat on every side with the melted butter. If necessary, use a baster to coat all sides of the steak with butter and garlic. Yum
6. After cooking for several minutes, you will want to grab your instant-read thermometer and start checking the meat. The worst thing you can do to a steak is overcook it. I know this is where everyone has a different opinion, but in my opinion, steaks should be taken off the skillet or grill, rare to medium rare. For a rare steak, temps should be 125°, medium rare 130°-135°, medium 135°-145°, and medium well (overcooked) 145°-155°.
7. Finally, relax and prepare to enjoy a delicious fried steak! Remove from the skillet, place on a plate or platter, cover with tin foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Well, let me know how your steak frying experience goes! The main priority is don’t overcook your steak. You can always put it back on the skillet if it is just too rare but you can never un-cook a steak.

All the best,

Craig Schmidt