Away at school and cooking for himself for the very first time, my son Brian needed some guidance in the recipe department. To help him out, I started putting my nose to cookbooks and brainstorming recipes that were much better suited for a first time chef.
In his favor, he likes to cook – even though he doesn’t have a lot of experience – and he appreciates a good meal! Luckily, my options weren’t too limited. But, there’s still a difference between what he’d want to make, and what he’d rather just eat (we’ll save those recipes for his time at home).
Although it’s been more of a project than I expected, this experience has reminded me that the very best recipes are often those that are the most simply prepared.
Case in point, a recent recipe for steak fajitas that I shared with him.
(after the fact, he commented that he would’ve preferred to just have the steak)
Point taken. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to cook together recently, so we ditched the tortilla wrap to focus solely on preparing a memorable Ribeye with just a few key ingredients.
The ribeye process…
The process was straightforward and the result was a hearty meal for an always hungry 19-year-old. Or, if need be, perfect portions for a couple to share. This recipe produces a juicy, tender steak with a super flavorful crust. We set the oven to 450-degrees, and popped in the skillet to heat.
Meanwhile, the ribeye was set out to come up to room temperature. Next, we rubbed the meat with oil, and seasoned it liberally with course salt and large grinds of pepper.
When the pan was good and hot, it was placed on the stovetop over a medium flame (make sure and have an oven mitt handy for this step). Then came the fun part! The steak was placed in the skillet, and seared on each side for a few minutes until a nice crust formed.
Last steps…
After this step, the heat was turned to low. We then added the butter, garlic, and fresh herbs to the pan. For about 30 seconds, we bathed the meat in the garlic butter. This is when the dish became super aromatic and our mouths began to water.
For the final step, the pan was placed back into the oven and the steak cooked until the desired temperature was reached. Our goal was medium-rare or 135-degrees, but you can cook yours to your preference!
Once the pan came out of the oven, we placed the meat on a cutting board to rest for a few minutes and then we sliced it! It was juicy and perfectly pink – exactly the way we wanted it!
Final thoughts…
I think Brian would agree that this easy-to-prepare skillet recipe does a great job of bringing out the best flavors in the ribeye.
The combination of minimal, quality ingredients and simple preparation are the key to this meals appeal. Serve this with a fresh, green salad, and sit down and enjoy a mouthwatering meal that is proof you don’t need a laundry list of ingredients to eat well!
Enjoy!
Classic Pan-Seared Ribeye w/ Rosemary & Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce Ribeye steak
- 1 teaspoon peanut or canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper *be generous
- 3-4 sprigs thyme
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, partially crushed
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Place skillet in oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Brush both sides of steak with oil and season with salt and pepper. When oven is heated, carefully remove pan and place on stovetop over medium heat.
- Place ribeye steak in skillet and sear for 2 minutes. Flip, top with garlic, thyme and rosemary and place skillet back in oven for 6-7 minutes.
- Put skillet back on stovetop over low heat. Flip steak, top with butter and carefully tilt pan while scooping melted butter, garlic and thyme to continually coat steak for 1-3 minutes. Confirm doneness with an instant read thermometer and pull from skillet at 120-125°F for medium rare. Let rest five minutes and coat with browned butter before serving.
- Note: This technique creates a great mouth-watering charred ribeye steak using a very hot skillet while emitting a great deal of smoke. Be prepared with pot holders and proper ventilation.
