A basic recipe for a strip steak. This can also be done on sirloin or other cuts of steak meant for pan-frying.
10 Mins
experienced
medium
1 Servings
Gluten Free
Nut Free
Dairy Free
Steak can be an intimidating meat to try and cook. People are so judgmental about how you cook and eat it. Rare-eaters judge those who eat it well-done, and vice versa. And don't you dare try and put steak sauce on it, am I right?
In my personal opinion, everyone should be allowed to enjoy steak the way they want. I mean, if you pay for it, it's yours to use as you see fit. I'm just here to teach people how to cook a steak the "traditional" way-- medium rare, which is a dark pink center with juices flowing. Luckily, steak is kind of easy to adjust if you don't like it medium rare... simply cook it longer in the pan.
Don't fret if your steak sticks to the pan while you're cooking it. This scared me a lot when I first tackled cooking steak on my own, admittedly. You just need to be patient, turn the heat down a little, and wait for the steak to lift from the pan on its own. If it's been a while and things are beginning to look a little burnt, you can use a little muscle to carefully ply the edges up with a spatula before flipping.
Recipe 
Ingredients 
6 to 8 ounces Steak A tender hunk of beef
2 teaspoons Salt Grains that taste, well... salty. Make sure not to add too much!
1 teaspoon Ground Pepper Technically a fruit, ground balls of spice that can often make people sneeze!
2 tablespons Butter Fat created from churned cream.
Cooking Gear 
Cooktop
- Frying pan
mise en place 
- Coat the steak in salt and pepper
- Allow the steak to rest for at least 30 minutes ahead of time
Steps 
- Heat the frying pan over a cooktop on medium high heat until the pan is thoroughly heated
- Add the butter and melt
- Add the steak to the pan. Cook on one side for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, or until the steak naturally releases from the pan.
- Flip the steak and cook for another 2 minutes (or again, when the steak lifts from the pan)
- Carefully turn the steak on its side and cook for 15-30 seconds on each side, or until the sides are no longer red
- Remove the steak from the pan and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before eating
*tips and hints* 
- Although you can technically skip resting the steaks for the full 30 minutes with salt and pepper before cooking, I highly recommend letting the steaks "age" as they retain much better flavor this way
- If you want a steak that is cooked more than medium rare, simply leave the steaks on their sides longer in the pan. Try 3 minutes each side for medium and 4 for well done.
- Each stove and pan is different! You may have "hot spots" in your burners or pans that cook steaks less evenly especially if you are working with an older stove/burner.