Tender and juicy this pan seared steak is a perfect weekday meal. Chimichurri and steak are a match made in heaven and will take the meal to a whole new level. Making the sauce ahead of time will make it even more flavorful.
I love a well seasoned steak. It is also one of my grandfather’s favorite things for me to make him. So this naturally became a dish that is grew accustomed to making regularly. With the addition of the chimichurri it makes an already great meal even better. This sauce belongs with steak. Although it is great on chicken too.
In this recipe
This is a pretty simple meal in terms of ingredients. All you need is some salt, pepper, garlic, a steak and chimichurri sauce. The butter and olive oil help are perfect to carry the garlic flavor onto the steak. While this recipe uses a one pound steak it is easy to increase the amount to make enough for the whole family.
Preparing the steak
One of the best things you can do for a steak is season it ahead of time. If you have at least an hour before cooking the steak then you want to season the steak then. If you don’t have at least an hour then season right before cooking. The reason for this is because salt draws water out of the steak and then it will dissolve. If the salty water isn’t given enough time to re-enter the steak you will end up with a tough steak.
Making a seared steak
The first thing you want to do is make sure your steak is at room temperature before cooking. Another important things is to make sure the skillet is hot. In order to keep the oil from burning you will want to heat the pan first and then add in the oil right before you add your steak. Finally leave the meat undisturbed while cooking. When the meat is constantly flipped it doesn’t develop that nice sear.
Let it rest
Like all proteins it is good to let them rest before cutting into them. This is because as meat cooks it contracts and that squeezes the juices towards the outer edges of the meat. By allowing it to rest the meat will relax and the juices and redistribute. If you ever slice into meat and you see a ton of water on your cutting board you haven’t let is rest long enough. For something like a steak you want to let it rest about half of the cooking time.
Looking for other main course ideas?
Pan Seared Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ribeye steak about 1 inch thick
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ cup chimichurri sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- On the stove over medium high heat, heat the skillet and oil until hot.
- While the skillet is heating season the steak with salt and pepper. Once the pan and oil are hot add the steak. It should start sizzling immediately. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes add the garlic cloves and butter and flip the steak. Spoon the melted butter and oil over the top of the steak. Cook for another 5 minutes. With a 1 inch steak 5 minutes per side should get to medium-rare. Cook until the steak is 5°F / 3°C lower than desired temperature. Remove from heat.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes or half of the cooking time. Slice and top with chimichurri sauce.
Nutrition
