Friday, July 31, 2009

Cooking Grass-Fed Beef: Episode 3 – Rib Eye Steak "Steakhouse" Style

This video recipe for Rib Eye Steak "Steakhouse" Style is the third in the series of videos I'm doing that focus on cooking various cuts of grass-fed beef. As usual, this beef came from my friends at Normanton Farms.

The rib eye is most steak lovers' favorite cut. A fatty and flavorful steak that can be pan-seared, broiled, or gri
lled with equally delicious results. I called the video Steakhouse Steak because I'm showing two classic steakhouse techniques; a traditional dry-rub seasoning blend, and a flavored butter called a "beurre maitre d' hotel."

I'm doing a very simple garlic and parsley butter, but a "hotel butter," (aka compound butter) can be made with just about anything. They often contain shallots, vinegar, other herbs, and are often fortified with salt and pepper. I just left mine plain since I was serving it on a very well seasoned piece of rib eye.

Speaking of seasoning; I joked about this seasoning blend being a "secret," but this is a well-known steakhouse standard. The funny thing is, very few home cooks bother to use a rub like this and then wonder why the steaks at Ponderosa Pete's House of Beef taste so much better.

As usual I remind the viewers that grass fed beef is lower in fat, cooks faster, and can dry out if over-cooked. I only cooked mine for 3 minutes per side and was rewarded with a juicy, flavorful steak. Adjust as you see fit. Enjoy!



Seasoning Ingredients:
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika

Hotel Butter Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
1/2 to 1 clove garlic, crushed fine
salt and pepper optional

70 comments:

Ollie said...

Hey Chef John, firstly this video is like a public service! We foodies can at least try and do grass-fed beef some justice :)

Only thing is I don't have a cast-iron griddle, just a normal one, which I noticed starts to "warp" around the hob, leaving an extra hot middle. Would you recommend buying cast-iron and why?

Thanks,
Ollie

Chef John said...

yes, I really like my cast iron grill pan. Just is thick and heavy and cooks evenly and holds the heat for a nice sear. worth every penny

Chris K. said...

Whenever I sear steaks with cast iron on the stove top, there's a lot of smoke. Is my pan *too* hot, or do I just need better ventilation?

Where'd you get the Laguiole knife? Do they come in a set?

Alex said...

That looks delicious!

What does the extra step of clarifying the butter do to change the final product?

milkshake said...

Chef, you are genius!! Seriously - my steaks will never be mediocre again thanks to your video.

Chef John said...

you just want the fat of the butter to sear, not the foamy or watery, milky parts which will burn and boil.

Chef John said...

Genius is a bit strong, but I really can't disagree. ;-)

Chef John said...

probably a bit of both. what's a Laguiole knife?

milkshake said...

..right, at some point you have to stop denying whats obvious

Amy Lynn said...

This is awesome -- can you do these steaks in a broiler if you don't have that grill pan?

Chef John said...

sure, broil away

Amy Lynn said...

Awesome... obviously that quadruples the cooking time, but it looks so yummy!

procrastineer said...

Thanks for the recipe Chef John.

For international readers rib eye steak is also known as: scotch fillet in Australia and New Zealand (source: Wikipedia).

I also like cooking steak in cast iron grill pan, but I find cleaning process always difficult. I find hot water and detergent useful, but there seems to be char residue left over. Is there a better way of cleaning a cast iron grill pan?

I will try this recipe and post photos tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Chef, how come you didnt put the cast iron pan in the oen after you sear the steak like i've seen many other people do?

Chef John said...

no need to, it only cooked for 3 minutes per side.

Jax said...

that was great. it was worth the wait. sorry for being impatient.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the recipe, that looks amazing !

Just a note, in french we don't pronounce the 'h' so that would give "beurre maître d'ôtel". The ô in hôtel sounds like 'oh' in Québec while in France it's more open like in 'blog'.

Kevin said...

Hey Chef John, I was wondering if there are any American steak recipe which.. ehh how do I put this.. makes the steak completely "brown" ?

Basia said...

Hi, procrastineer

Are you reseasoning your grill pan after each washing? What a pain! Instead of scrubbing with detergents, try using a "paste" of warm oil and salt on a warm pan. NOT hot. It removes built-up char but protects the seasoning of the pan. Less clean-up next time.

Luatica said...

Can you use oil instead? (actually i sue oil instead though the smoking point i suspect is lower depending on the oil) Is just that my dad hates butter and his tongue is like a detector for butter presence.

This recipe looks good. My sister and boyfriend were next to me drooling as I was watching the video. I will give it a try one of these days.

Chef John said...

Lcua,
I have never heard of someone hating the taste of butter! I find that very disturbing. anyway you can use oil if you want.

Basia, i don't season every time, just dry over a flame and put away. thanks for the tip.

Kevin, not sure what you mean. You can pan fry if you want the surface seared all over.

Amy Lynn said...

Chef, I made this last night, and it was UNBELIEVABLE. My boyfriend couldn't stop talking about how good it was.

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Greetings to you Chef John. I recently made your maple-brined pork loin. Would you mind if I blog about it? I'd also like to post your recipe and a link to your blog, if that's okay.

Looking forward to hearing from you,
ButterYum

Chef John said...

yes, please do!

Chef John said...

thanks Amy, he is a very lucky man ;-)

milkshake said...

A no-prisoners method for cast iron pan cleaning involves soaking in diluted lye (sodium hydroxide) with few drops of dish-washing liquid. Lye removes everything greasy, even hardened oil paint. And it eats aluminum too. Just make sure it does not get it on your skin (or in the eyes!)because lye is vicious.
The spent lye poured down the drain works as a drain opener.

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Thank you kindly! Here it is:

http://butteryum.blogspot.com

Basia said...

Hey Chef John

I was sure *you* already knew how to take care of your cast iron. One of your other fans (procrastineer) had asked how you clean your pans, and mentioned using detergent. Momma & Nana would have slapped me for washing cast iron with detergent!

mmmmm.....steak......

kevin said...

I mean, steak that isent red and bloody inside, or is all steak like that?

Bill W, NH said...

I'm known around these parts as the guy who can cook just about anything well except for a good steak, all that's changed now, I made this last night but BBQd it instead of using a cast iron skillet, went 3:30 on each side, the rub is fantastic.

ghanima said...

Another excellent grass-fed beef video, Chef John! Thanks for sharing the steakhouse-standard seasoning recipe with your reading public; I had always wondered what rub these places were using to make their beef taste so much better than what I made at home.

Birder said...

This looks very succulent!

One question though: how does this hotel butter differ from plain old garlic butter as we know it?

Luatica said...

For some reason my dad does not like butter, being Galician, where we have some of the best milk and dairy products of Spain. I guess more for the non-haters

Basia said...

Oh, milkshake, lye is for lutefisk. Nuff said.

Chef John said...

J, well, if that's how you make your plain old garlic butter then there is no difference.

rowell said...

That is a really fine piece of steak! Just the kind of video I was looking for too because I don't have a grill yet. Thanks!

Non-Chef John said...

Chef John, what's the reason for "shiny side down" on the foil?

Chef John said...

shiny reflects heat better than dull

Non-Chef John said...

Thank you, Chef John! Hey, wait a minute. If that's the case, why is it that you and I get sunburned on the scalp in the summer? ;-)

JB said...

I am allergic to dairy, would margarine be an OK substitute for the hotel garlic butter pat? Something else maybe?

Yes, I know chefs must hate me always asking for no butter, milk etc., but if I could eat butter I would.

Proctalgia Fugax said...

Thanks John,
I have been trying to perfect the non-dried steak for many years now. Tonight I succeeded. Being a believer in the fact that excellent quality steak does not need any added ingredients has been my downfall. i am averse to the griddle pan and used the open flame grill on my BBQ. Simple, subtle but superb.

Charmaine said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

i cant seem to find any onion powder...anything else i can use to replace it ?

Chef John said...

not that I know of. Any large grocery store that sells McCormick spices should have it.

JB said...

Any hint on what to use as a dairy-free substitute for the hotel butter?

Chef John said...

sorry, no sub for butter

Yvonne Wong said...

Hello Chef John,

I like your website very much...i've been coming back here everyday for 7 days in a row and you inspired me to make my own bread...which turns absolutely awesome! I've been whipping up some of your recipe in the kitchen and my family loves it:)

Keep posting and thank you for teaching us how to put decent meals on the table:)

I was wondering if you have recipe for chicken and beef souvlaki? I love greek food and so far i couldn't find good recipe for greek food

Thank you Chef John
Best Regard
Yvonne

procrastineer said...

From the video it looks like you are using a enameled grill pan for this recipe.

Today I bought a Le Chasseur cast iron grill pan similar to this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chasseur-Cast-Square-Grill-Black/dp/B00008Q17A/ref=pd_sim_kh_8

My question is it necessary to cure or season enameled cookware such as the one I purchased?

Thanks Chef John.

Minh "Sa" Chau said...

That looks so absolutely delicious, my mouth is watering, sadly, I'm sick so I am stuck with soup. :(

Makun said...

THIS WAS AMAZING DELICIOUS!! I used it on buffalo steaks instead over a barbecue with wood chips and the results were fantastic!! I cooked it on med-high around 400 for 4-5 minutes on each side. So juicy and tender!! Thanks!!!!!!

Marla said...

I was afraid of trying to cook any steak for years because the result were always a dry piece of meat!. My husband is from Argentina and we live in Mexico, he absolutely loved the porter house steaks we had for lunch today (using this recipe). He said it was one of the most delicious steaks he´s had.
I´m a happy wife!! :D
TNX´S FOR POSTING THIS.
PD. Trying the Lava chocolate cake this Valentine!!

Anonymous said...

Do you know a substitute for the parsely

Chef John said...

any fresh green herb will work, whatever you like

Anonymous said...

Chef john, I can not find any grass fed rib eye steak so i have conventional rib eye steak and I was wondering how long to cook the steak on a grill

Anonymous said...

Oh and one more thing, I am aiming for Medium steak

Chef John said...

Sorry, impossible to give times for meat. Too many variables. Use a thermomter about 135 degrees.

Unknown said...

I live in Greece where typically beef is cooked all the way through,well-done at least.
When I started preparing this dish, most of my friends were like: "are you SURE this is ok to eat? look at how red it is"

Needless to say that after the first bite, the crowd went wild. A favorite ever since.

I do have a problem with the smoke though. I go for 4 mins per side and by the end the kitchen is full of smoke. Should I lower the fire maybe? I am using the same pot as you.

Thanks a lot Chef John.

Anonymous said...

I just did this on a regular pan but wow it was so amazingly good. First i tried with some cheap meat but that wasnt quite as pleasing so i went out and bought some real ribeyes that goes around $12 a pound and its really good with that. Chef, will that cast iron grill make quite a lot of difference over a regular pan?

shcroft said...

What is the temperature of the grill you cook on. I like to use an outdoor natural gas grill that I can control the temperature and need to set it right for the 3 minutes you stated.

Judy said...

Thank you Chef! I made the first steak I have ever done that did not need steak sauce! I used the clarified butter and the rub and just pan seared it. Wonderful flavor! Next time I will also try out the "hotel butter" (did not have the fresh herbs/garlic on hand to do it this time). This is my go-to way to make steak now! You rock :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing. Can i add one lemon into it to taste different?

Chef John said...

I think we both know the answer to that question. ;) Of course!! It's your food!!

Beinhealth3John1:2 said...

Thank you so much for posting this.. My husband absolutely loved his steak.. :)

Unknown said...

Three words: BEST STEAK EVER!!

Vincent said...

Hi chef John,

I just made the steak but used all the seasoning but it was way to salty for my taste. Was it meant to be used entirely? Or did I make a gravey misteak?

Chef John said...

All seasoning is "to taste" so I can't whether you should use all or not. Sounds like it was too much for you. Depends on size of steaks, and a person's palette. I don't measure, and just sprinkle it on until it seems like enough. You can always add, but not subtract, so next time, be more conservative at first.

Judy said...

Hi Chef!
Just thought I would tell you how much this recipe (and all of your vids, really) changed my diet. You can see a comment from me back from Christmas 2012 above, talking about the first time I used this spice blend on steak. Since then I keep the spice blend pre-made in my kitchen, because I use it so much! I cook pork chops, pork steaks, and beef steaks using this seasoning blend, clarified butter (I actually now buy big jars of "Ghee") and a hot pan. I was terrified of cooking steak until this video. Now I sear meat all the time! Thank you for all that you do teaching us kitchen fraidy-cats to cook. I used to eat frozen dinners all of the time--now I can feed myself (and my roommate, too!) and it is following you for the last few years that has made that happen.
Just thought you'd like to know!
<3 TYTYTY Chef!

Unknown said...

I made this steak last night for my mother's birthday. (Ribeye is her favorite cut) There's a local grocer that has the freshest, best-marbled cuts; Local 'champs' use the place to get meat for their grilling competitions, 'nuff said.
This steak alongside steamed broccoli w/ homemade cheese sauce, a baking potato with 'the works', and a toasted onion roll, she was the happiest mother ever.

Thanks, Chef John! <3

Unknown said...

I have eaten a pineapple-fed beef and it was so delicious.

David McCutcheon said...

Wonderful technique. Thanks for the instruction. Why do you suggest the foil be shinier side on the meat?