High Temperature Pan-searing is the simplest and easiest way to prepare your Wagyu beef. Pan-searing will create a nice crust on your meats that retains juices and adds an enhanced flavor to the cut.
Pan Searing
You will be heating oil in a skillet, searing the meat, then finishing the cooking process in the oven. Keep in mind that when you drop your meat into the skillet, it needs to react vigorously to the hot oil. Test the heat of the skillet/oil by dropping a small piece of meat into the skillet to gauge reaction. If you're using a stainless steel skillet and you don't get a vigorous reaction, you can quickly pump up the heat and salvage the sear. If you're using a cast iron skillet and you don't get a vigorous reaction, quickly remove the meat from the skillet and wait for it to heat completely.
Oven Finishing
Instead of relying on fixed amounts of time to oven-finish your steak (which will vary from steak to steak), you'll want to leave your steak in the oven until it reaches a desired internal temperature, then let it rest in a warm environment. This can be accomplished by covering the steak with aluminum foil. Resting a steak allows the juices to settle throughout the steak while the internal temperature continues to rise few degrees. This resting rise in temperature will finish off the cooking process. Refer to the table below (in the instructions) for internal temperatures and corresponding "doneness" level.
Supplies Needed:
- Steak
- Salt, Pepper, your choice of spices
- Oven safe skillet (stainless steel or cast-iron)
- High smoke point cooking oil (Peanut Oil, Canola Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Safflower Oil, Sunflower Oil, Soy Oil, Avocado Oil)
- Internal digital thermometer
Instructions:
- Allow your steak to come to room temperature, pat it dry with paper towels, then season all sides with salt, pepper and other desired spices or rubs.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Bring your skillet to medium high heat and add about 1 Tbs. oil to coat the bottom of the skillet (this will help even your sear and better brown the crust).
- Once the skillet and oil are thoroughly heated, place your steak in the pan and press down to make sure the whole surface is completely touching the skillet. Cook for 1 - 3 minutes, or until the steak does not stick to the pan. Thinner steaks will need as little as 1 minute per side while thicker cuts will need a little longer.
- Flip and repeat, making sure you have a nice brown crust on both sides.
- Once you've created a beautiful crust on both sides of your steak, pull the skillet off the heat and insert the internal digital thermometer into the middle of the steak. With the steak still in the skillet, move the skillet and steak into the pre-heated oven.
- Remove your steak from the oven when it reaches the Removal Temperature that corresponds to the desired doneness, and place in a warm area to rest and finish cooking. You can cover the skillet with aluminum foil, or cover with a lid. Refer to the chart below for Doneness and Removal Times:
Doneness Removal Temperature Final Resting Temperature Rare 120° - 125°F 125° - 130°F Medium Rare 125° - 135°F 130° - 140°F Medium 135° - 145°F 140° - 150°F Medium Well 145°F 150°F Well Done Not Recommended Not Recommended - Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes per inch of thickness.
- Cut against the grain and serve a slice of Cross Creek Ranch heaven!
