It’s a common mistake celebrity chef Scott Conant sees with cooks, and yet it’s such an easy fix: Wait before cutting your steak!
“People don’t take the proper time to let steak rest after cooking,” says Conant, a James Beard Award–winning chef and the owner of New York City’s Fusco restaurant (fusconewyork.com). “You want those juices to remain in the meat and not on the cutting board, which happens when it’s cut up too soon.”
Conant suggests a simple formula: Allow the steak to rest for about a third of the time it takes to cook it. This ensures the steak stays tender and less dry.
Conant provides a recipe below in which the steak is seared and then slow-cooked. It’s what he uses at his restaurants. You’ll need two pans: one to sear and one that’s heating in the oven until you transfer the steak. “You’ll get the most tender and juicy steaks this way,” he says.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, 1 sliced, 2 cut in half
3 rosemary sprigs
3 sirloin steaks, thick (6 oz each)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt
1 oz, Parmigiano-Reggiano, thinly sliced
Directions
Combine 2 tbsp olive oil, pepper flakes, garlic slices, and 1 rosemary sprig in a zip-top bag. Add steaks; let sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
Heat remaining oil, garlic, and rosemary in a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Remove meat from marinade and season with kosher salt and pepper. Add to pan and sear, 2 minutes per side.
Heat another pan in oven at 250°F. Transfer meat to heated pan and cook in oven. Baste steak with olive oil every 4 minutes until meat is cooked to your liking (18 minutes or 130°F for medium-rare).
Let steak rest before slicing, then top with pan juices, sea salt, and cheese
