Steakhouse-Style Ribeye
Steakhouses get their crust from three things a home kitchen can also do — a dry surface, a genuinely hot pan, and a proper rest. This version adds an overnight dry brine, which seasons the meat through and pulls moisture off the surface at the same time.
- Cut
- Ribeye
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 10 min (plus overnight dry brine)
- Cook
- 14 min
- Total
- 24 min + overnight
- Serves
- 2
- Season
- Year-Round
- Method
- Cast Iron
Ingredients
- 1 Alaron Farms bone-in ribeye (about 1½ lb), 2 in thick
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tbsp high-smoke-point cooking oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed in the skin
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 shallot, halved
What You'll Need
- Wire rack set over a sheet pan
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Long tongs
Before You Start
- Pat the steak dry and season it generously on both sides with the kosher salt. Set it on the wire rack over a sheet pan.
- Refrigerate uncovered overnight, ideally 12–24 hours. The air circulation dries the surface and the salt works its way into the meat.
- Take it out an hour before cooking and let it come up toward room temperature. Pat away any surface moisture that has collected.
Method
- 01
Preheat hard
Put the dry cast-iron skillet in a 450°F oven for 15 minutes, then move it to the stovetop over high heat. The pan should be uncomfortably hot — this is what produces a steakhouse crust in minutes rather than minutes-from-now.
- 02
Sear the first side
Add the oil, then lay the steak in the pan away from you. Press gently for the first few seconds to make full contact. Sear 3 minutes without moving it.
- 03
Flip and sear
Turn once and sear the second side 3 minutes. Hold the steak on its fat edge for 30 seconds with tongs to render the fat cap.
- 04
Baste
Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter, garlic, thyme and shallot. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steak continuously for 2 minutes.
- 05
Pull at temperature
Check with an instant-read thermometer through the side into the center. Pull around 120–125°F for rare, 130–135°F for medium-rare, 140–145°F for medium. For food-safety decisions, follow the USDA's current minimum internal temperature guidance (see Kitchen Notes).
- 06
Rest fully
Rest on a wire rack for 8–10 minutes — longer than you think, given the thickness. This is the step most home cooks cut short, and it's the one that keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the board.
Kitchen Notes
- Food safety: USDA guidance lists 145°F as the minimum internal temperature for beef steaks with a 3-minute rest. The doneness temperatures here describe culinary preference, not a safety minimum.
- The overnight dry brine is the highest-leverage step in this recipe. Even 4 hours helps.
- Never tent the steak tightly in foil while resting — it steams the crust you just built.
- Let the pan cool slightly before the butter goes in. Burnt butter is bitter butter.
How to Serve It
- Slice against the grain and fan the slices on a warmed plate.
- Classic steakhouse accompaniments: creamed spinach, a baked potato, or simply good bread.
- Save the resting juices and spoon them over the slices.
Storage & Leftovers
- Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days.
- Reheat gently in a low oven; a microwave will take it past medium in seconds.
- Freeze cooked slices up to 2–3 months, thawing in the refrigerator.
Using Another Cut?
New York Strip
Follow exactly — the strip is slightly leaner, so pull it 5°F earlier.
Porterhouse
Increase sear time to 4 minutes per side given the bone.
Ribeye, delivered from the farm.
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