How to cook a steak

How do the four methods compare?

The grey band is the layer of overcooked meat under the crust. Times are for a fridge-cold steak and vary with your stove, grill and steak.

Which method is best for a thin steak?

For steaks up to about 1½ inches, use high, direct heat: a pan-sear or the grill. The crust and the center finish at about the same time. A 1½-inch steak in a hot pan takes about 8 to 14 minutes to reach a medium-rare pull. Flipping every 30 to 60 seconds cooks it roughly a quarter to a third faster than flipping once.

Which method is best for a thick steak?

On a thick steak, high heat alone overcooks the outer layer before the center is done. That layer is the grey band. A reverse sear cooks the steak gently at 200 to 275°F (93 to 135°C) first, then sears it, and sous vide holds the whole steak at the final temperature before a fast sear. Both leave only a thin band.

Which method is the most hands-off?

Sous vide. You set the bath to the final temperature you want and the steak cannot overshoot it. It is also the slowest: a fridge-cold steak takes about 1¼ hours at 1 inch, 2½ hours at 1½ inches and 3½ hours at 2 inches to heat through. A reverse sear is the next most forgiving, because a reverse-seared steak rises much less after cooking than one seared hard from cold.

What do all four methods have in common?

• Salt the steak at least 40 to 45 minutes ahead, or up to overnight.
• Pat the surface dry before it meets the heat, so it browns instead of steaming.
• Cook to temperature. Check the doneness chart for your target, and pull a pan-seared or grilled steak about 5°F below your target, or 5 to 10°F below for thick steaks cooked hot. A reverse-seared steak leaves the oven 15 to 30°F below your target.
• Not sure which to pick? Try your exact steak in the cook planner, which shows the pull temperature and every step for each method.