The Ultimate Cast-Iron Butter-Basted Ribeye Steak

Every carnivore in your life loves a good, perfectly grilled steak.

The Maillard Reaction on a Grill

Cooking on the grill is the perfect option for a nice summer dinner, but the grill grate has its limitations. Here is how you can turn your outdoor grill into a full-on French cooktop that can yield a really impressive, restaurant-style result. By using a cast-iron pan, it will help combine subtle, smoky, grill flavor for a perfectly seared steak. I suggest you do not prepare a steak directly on the grill so that you are able to achieve the Maillard reaction. Simply put, this reaction is the caramelization process that occurs when meat is seared in a cast iron pan. The goal is to maximize this effect on as much of the surface of the protein without overcooking it. Cast iron is perfect for this because it evenly distributes the heat over the entire surface of the pan.

Prepping

To begin creating this mouthwatering, butter-basted, herb-and-garlic-infused masterpiece, choose your favorite cut of beef. I prefer a nice bone-in ribeye for its wonderful marbling and flavor which works well on the grill. Whichever cut you decide, your steak should be at least two inches thick to ensure that it doesn’t overcook while you sear every inch of it. Once you have your steak, liberally salt all surfaces and refrigerate uncovered. This will dry the outside of the steak and create a nice crust when grilled.

Cooking

Fire up your grill! Let the grill get to about 550º before you even consider putting anything on it, the hotter the better. When you’re ready, put 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil in your pan, pat your steak with a dry towel, and place it in the pan. Lower the temperature of the grill to medium-high and swirl the steak in the oil a bit to create a sear. Leave it alone with the grill closed for 5 minutes. Next, check the steak for a nice brown crust and flip it over. Add fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, shallot, and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pan. Sear all sides of the steak in the infused butter and continuously baste the steak by spooning hot butter over the top of it.

Spoon butter and pan juices over the steak.

Use tongs to turn the meat in between spooning butter over the steak.

Serving

Once your steak has an internal temperature of 145º place it on a plate and let it sit for 10 minutes. I use this time to sauté some white asparagus in the pan drippings from the steak and grill off baby bella mushroom caps. To serve your steak, cut the meat off the bone and slice it across the grain of the meat. Place the bone on the serving platter and shingle the steak slices next to the bone. Pour the juice from the plate over the steak and top it with some fresh thyme sprigs and a squeeze of lemon. ENJOY!

The Recipe

Yield: dinner for 5 adults

2 large 32-oz, bone-in ribeye steaks

1 stick unsalted butter

1 Tbsp grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

4 cloves crushed garlic

1 shallot

2 lbs. asparagus (white asparagus if available)

3 lbs. baby bella mushroom caps