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This cast iron seared strip steak is the BEST indoor way to cook a steak. Perfectly seasoned with a slight crust that turns out perfect every single time! 

This post is sponsored by New York Beef Council

If there is one thing I love it’s a great steak. 

I don’t want just any old steak. I want a well-seared and seasoned steak that knocks me off my socks. 

This cast iron seared strip steak is just that! 

It’s simply seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper and topped with a simple but totally delicious garlic herb compound butter. 

While the compound butter is optional I personally think it should always grace the top of a perfectly cooked steak. Who doesn’t love the addition of garlic, rosemary, and thyme? 

And if you follow me on Instagram you might remember about a month ago when I teamed up with the New York Beef Council to cook a few steaks and learn some awesome tips and tricks along the way. 

The real VIP of this post is the awesome chefs that taught me a few tips about pan-searing a steak that I’m super pumped to be sharing with you today.

Seasonings to use on steak

When it comes down to it what you put on your steak is super personal. 

However, one thing that is super important is the salt you use. If you don’t already own kosher salt it’s time to grab a box and try it on this recipe. 

Kosher salt is one of my favorite kitchen spices and should (in my opinion) make an appearance in every single household.

For these steaks, I used a mix of kosher salt and large cracked fresh black pepper. 

Because we are searing these steaks in a big heavy cast iron skillet it’s important that your steaks are not too overly coated. This could result in the spices burning in the pan. 

That’s why I opted to serve this with garlic herb compound butter. I’m adding in a big burst of fresh flavor after the fact that I don’t have to worry about burning in the pan.

The best pan to use to sear a steak

Cast iron! 

It really is the best option for a perfect sear. 

Plus, because they are heavy duty they can handle the high heat of the stove and the oven. 

Just remember to always use a heavy-duty oven mitt when handling hot cast iron. They get VERY hot. 

What size steak to make

A serving of beef is 4 ounces which is about half of the steak pictured here. Another fun visual way to figure out 4 ounces is knowing that it’s about the size of your hand. 

Typically Art and I will share a steak or I’ll make 2 steaks and save the second steak for sandwiches or salad. 

Best steak to sear in a cast iron skillet

Don’t worry if you find yourself standing in the butcher shop not knowing what type of steak to buy. It can definitely be overwhelming. 

For pan-searing I like to pick a steak that is not overly fatty.

That’s because if you use a steak with a high-fat ratio you risk smoking up your house. 

Trust me, no one wants a smoky kitchen. That’s why I’m here with this post – which is basically a guide on how to not smoke up your kitchen. 

Always a good thing. 

Now, back to the beef. 

I find that one of the best steaks to use for pan searing is strip steak. 

It happens to be a leaner cut of meat from the loin section of the cow that works really well for most preparations but especially well for pan searing. 

Preparing a steak for pan searing

While there is a lot of information out there about how to perfect cooking steak the big one I see a lot is that folks should take their steaks out of the refrigerator and let them sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes. 

I personally (and the rest of the food safety world) are not giant fans of this advice. 

Instead, take your steak out of the refrigerator, remove the packaging, place them onto a plate, and place them back in the fridge. 

Let them air dry in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before cooking. 

This assures that they’ll stay at a safe temperature but also helps reduce moisture on the outside of the steak so you get the PERFECT sear. 

Also, make sure you do not salt the steak too early. Salt will draw out moisture so you want to make sure to season right before you’re ready to put it in the pan. 

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place a cast iron skillet over a medium-high flame. 

Pan searing a steak

Right before you’re ready to put your steaks in the pan it’s time to get to seasoning! 

You’ll want to evenly season both sides of the steak with kosher salt and black pepper. The exact amount can be modified to taste.

When your cast iron skillet is hot add the steaks and DO NOT TOUCH THEM. Let them cook and sizzle just until you start to see a little color creeping up the side of the steak. Basically, you’re looking for the meat to change from raw to cooked. 

After about 5-8 minutes you should be able to easily flip your steak. If you notice a lot of sticking give it a few more minutes or until it releases without force. 

After you flip the steak pop it into the preheated oven and cook until it has an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. 

Let your steak rest until it reaches 145 degrees F. There is always a little carry-over cooking so just give it a few minutes to continue cooking. 

Then serve it up plain or cover it with a small disk of garlic herb compound butter. 

More delicious beef recipes

• Are steak and eggs your thing? Try my Fried egg topped grilled ribeye.
• Do you love sweet and savory? Try my Grape and blue cheese flank steak.
• Love the flavors of summer? Try my Grilled London broil with corn salsa.
• Craving flavor? Try my Lemon herb pan fried ribeye.