Super-chef and Food Network star Tyler Florence knows a bit about steak. His posh new waterfront steakhouse, Miller & Lux, recently opened to raves in San Francisco, California, so he’s been (as they say in kitchens) in the weeds. We were lucky to snag an hour of his time for some top-notch instruction on how to cook the perfect steak as part of our virtual cooking classes to benefit No Kid Hungry. Here’s some of what we learned:
1. Temper Your Steak
You may be inclined to hustle through meal prep, but don’t forget to set your steak out for 30 to 60 minutes before you cook it. It creates an “equilibrium” with the pan itself, says Tyler, and helps your steak cook faster and more evenly. Bonus: As the fat on your steak renders, it will render softly and lusciously, not rock-hard.
2. Pick the Right Pan
“Durable.” “Spectacular.” “Amazing.” It’s fair to say Tyler is a super-fan of the Hestan Nanobond™ stainless-steel fry pan he used in his class. “No joke, this is next-level, next-generation technology when it comes to cookware.” He loves its durability, how quickly it heats and hot the pan gets, too. For the recipe below, he removes the steak and puts it on a wire rack set in a sheet pan for the oven. But because his skillet can handle 500 degrees of heat (or the broiler!) in a restaurant setting, he often chooses his pan over the rack for this final step. (For the recipe below, he deglazes the searing skillet and adds yummy chanterelles.)
3. Don’t Forget the Basics
Though Tyler waxes poetic about his steakhouse’s 45-day dry-aged porterhouse (“the absolute perfect cut”), he’s grounded in reality. You can use a less pricey cut, and if you can’t find chanterelles for the recipe below, you can use cremini or porcini mushrooms. He did some “urban foraging” to pick rosemary from a bush across the street from his California studio, then threw some regular old butter into the pan after searing the steak for a “fresh fat lick,” spooning it over the seared beef. And we loved seeing that, during the searing process, he (carefully!) pressed down on the center of the steak with his hand and a spatula. Nothing fancy. No cheffiness. Just getting that lovely Maillard reaction by putting as much of that meat onto the heat of the pan as possible to create a crust.
4. Rely on a Good Recipe
There’s a lot to cooking steak that’s very intuitive. With good-quality meat, a lot of salt and pepper, and a reliable meat thermometer (or the finger test) to check doneness, just about anyone can turn out a decent steak for the dinner table. Yet, for a perfectly cooked steak every time, well, you can’t go wrong with a recipe from a master. Tyler’s Pan-Seared Rib Eye recipe will not disappoint:
Pan-Seared Rib Eye Steak with Potato Puree & Creamy Chanterelle Mushrooms
For the Steak:
1–2 2-inch–thick bone-in rib eye steaks
3–4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
For the Potatoes:
2 pounds Yukon gold or another yellow potato
4 cloves of garlic
Kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
1 1⁄4 cups cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 bunch chives, minced
For the Mushrooms:
4 tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
9 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned
1⁄2 cup white wine
1⁄2 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon demi-glace
1⁄4 cup cream
1⁄2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
Fresh watercress or parsley leaves for garnish
Sear and Cook the Steak:
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Pat the steak(s) dry with paper towels and allow it to come to room temperature. Season with salt and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium- high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer and smoke, place the steak in the pan and sear for 5 minutes, or until it gets a nice crust. Flip the steak over and cook for another 5 minutes.
Remove the steak from the pan (do not discard the pan drippings) and place on a sheet pan with a wire rack. Put in the oven and roast for 18 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak registers 125°.
Remove from the oven and let the steak rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Make the potato puree:
Peel and roughly chop the potatoes and add them to a pot of cold salted water with the garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook the potatoes until tender, about 10–12 minutes. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, drain them set aside.
In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, bring the cream and butter to a simmer.
Use a potato ricer to crush potatoes into the pot with the cream and butter. Using a whisk, gently fold everything together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: if you don’t have a ricer, you can place the drained potatoes into the pot with the cream and mash them with a potato masher, or use an electric handheld mixer to incorporate them.
Make the mushrooms:
Take the pan used to cook the steak and discard about three quarters of the beef fat. Place the pan back onto the stove over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the shallots and thyme and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the mushrooms have browned, deglaze with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook for a minute, then add the beef stock, demi-glace and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes. Finish with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the steak with the potato puree and mushrooms, garnishing with watercress or parsley. Makes 2-4 servings.
