I used to be pretty scared of grilling steak, partially because it’s touchy with timing and partially because I don’t own an outdoor grill. Thankfully, it went swimmingly and we all ate this delicious steak grilled on a pan without incident and lived happily ever after. No really. If you get your grill nice and hot, let it sear and get all caramelized and crusted, it’s delicious without a grill.
I used a New York Strip (aka Kansas City Strip and Top Sirloin) which is a moderately high-end cut with less fat than a ribeye and easier to trim and cook but not quite as tender.
I paired the six-ounce New York strip steak with a quick blue cheese mustard butter, which melted beautifully. Heck, anything with blue cheese and butter isn’t likely to fail, right?
I totally recommend an instant-read thermometer for gauging the thickest part of the steak to make sure it doesn’t stay too raw. I like it nice and rare, so it’s a fine line with steak thickness. Let’s take a peek at how I did it.
Ingredients
- 2/3 ounce (20g) blue cheese
- 2/3 ounce (20g) butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp fresh garlic
- 1/2 tsp mustard (I used blue cheese herb mustard)
- 1/8 tsp lemon juice
- A few fresh basil leaves, chopped finely (or dried rosemary)
- 6 ounce New York Strip steak, about 1 inch thick and well-marbled
- 1 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine butter, blue cheese, mustard, lemon juice, basil, and garlic. Set aside.
- A few hours before cooking, season the steak with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper on both sides and refrigerate.
- About and hour before ready to cook, remove the steak from the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
- Heat a grill skillet (like this one) over med-high heat. You'll want it at full heat for the sear.
- Add the steak to the dry, hot skillet and let it sear undisturbed for 3 minutes to form a crust on the one side. Some chefs say to flip frequently instead, but I prefer this way.
- Using tongs, flip the steak onto the other side and allow it to sear another 2-3 minutes, undisturbed, to form a crust on that side.
- Stand the steak up and sear the sides.
- Make cooking time adjustments as needed based on your steak thickness. I used an instant read thermometer and removed the steak when the thickest point registered between 120-125°F.
- Remove the steak from the heat and allow it to rest for 10 minutes to preserve the juices.
- Slice against the grain, top with blue cheese mustard butter, and enjoy!
Catherine Clark is a Chicago native sharing noteworthy things she sees and attempts to make in the world. She's a geek, cat lady, designer and editor by day, and noob chef by night.
