How to Broil Steak In the Oven

If you splurge on steaks, you want to make sure they're cooked perfectly. If you don't have access to a grill, the boiler is the next-best cooking method. Experiment with seasonings and cooking times. It's easy to return the meat to the broiler if it's undercooked.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Steak, one-inch thick, Porterhouse, Rib Eye, T-bone, Strip
• Steak seasoning
• Butter
• Heavy skillet
• Olive oil
• Tongs
• Timer

1. Allow the steaks to rest on a plate on the counter for about 15 minutes before cooking. Rinse the meat under cool running water. Pat dry on both sides with several layers of paper towels.

2. Place the empty broiler pan under the broiler. Turn the boiler on the high setting to pre-heat for 10 minutes.

3. Season the steaks on both sides. Keep in mind that salt draws moisture from the meat, so use pepper, garlic or onion powder or specially prepared steak seasoning blends.

4. Sear the thick (1 inch) steaks in a stove-stop skillet to seal in the juices. Add a pat of butter and teaspoon of olive oil to a hot skillet. Set the steaks in the pan undisturbed for 60 to 90 seconds on each side.

5. Remove the hot boiler pan from the oven. Place the prepared steaks side by side in the center of the pan. Position the steaks about 3 inches from the broiler flame or element.

6. Broil the steaks until the desire doneness is reached. Cook thick steaks for 3 to 4 minutes on a side for rare, 5 to 6 minutes for medium rare and so forth.

7. Adjust cooking times to get the desired results. Consider the thickness of the meat and whether it's pan seared. Let the finished steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.

Tips & Warnings

• Always underestimate the broiling time to avoid overcooking. Avoid cutting into the meat repeatedly to determine if it's done. A lot of the juices will be lost.

• Use points on the open hand to measure doneness. Meat cooked "rare" will feel like soft like the fleshy portion of the palm below the thumb. The center of the open hand feels firm like meat done "medium." "Well done" meat has little give and feels like the space just below the pinky finger.