Cooking a steak in a skillet always reminds me of my time at The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine. I worked in the restaurant’s kitchen for five months as a prep cook, learning everything I could from chef/owner Erin French and her incredible team. Getting to experience the love, creative vision, and hard work that make The Lost Kitchen so special was a formative experience for me.
The restaurant has a set menu each night, and Erin cooks the main course for all fifty diners in quick succession, working six skillets of steak, tuna, or halibut at once, flipping and basting each one with the measured grace of a ballerina. It is truly a sight to behold, and with that image in my mind, I know I can handle one skillet in my own kitchen!
The best part of searing a steak in a skillet is basting it with butter, garlic, and herbs, and it always feels like a crime to leave those delicious juices behind in the pan. In this recipe, I add a handful of wild mushrooms to the skillet while the steak rests, letting them sear in the bubbling butter until perfectly tender and full of meaty flavor.
I call this “date-night” rib eye because it serves two perfectly, and because there’s something romantic to me about cooking a big, juicy steak at home. But of course it’s delicious any time you make it, shared with anyone who loves a good steak. – Lidey Heuck
Ingredients
- 1 1/2-pound bone-in rib eye steak, about 1 1/2 inches thick
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed flat with the side of a knife
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 12 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms (such as cremini, oyster, and chanterelles), trimmed and chopped or torn into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon white or red wine
- Minced fresh chives, for serving (optional)
- Flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Allow the steak to sit on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Heat a 10-inch stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, or until a drop of water flicked into the pan evaporates almost immediately. Rub the canola oil all over the steak and sprinkle with the salt and pepper, making sure to coat both sides.
- Place the steak in the skillet and press down with a spatula so that it makes good contact with the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip, and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Repeat two more times, so you’ve cooked the steak for 4 minutes on each side. Stand the steak up on its fatty side and cook for 30 seconds to let some of the fat render.
- Lay the steak back down, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the butter, garlic, and rosemary. Cook for 30 seconds on each side, tilting the pan and spooning the melted butter and fat over the steak. Using tongs, transfer the steak to a cutting board and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- While the steak rests, tilt the pan and carefully spoon out all but a thin layer of fat—about 2 tablespoons—from the skillet, leaving the rosemary and garlic in the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and add half the mushrooms to the pan in an even layer. Cook for 2 minutes without moving, then toss and continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender, about 2 more minutes. Spoon into a small serving bowl and repeat with the remaining mushrooms. Off the heat, return the first batch of mushrooms to the pan, along with the wine, and toss. Sprinkle with the chives and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Cut the steak into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve with the mushrooms on the side.
Excerpted from COOKING IN REAL LIFE: Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day. Copyright @ 2024 by Lidey Heuck. Photography Copyright © 2024 by Dane Tashima. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
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