Before we start: Gather all the tools and ingredients. If you plan to use compound butter, make it ahead of time.

Prepare the Steak

1. Pat the steak dry on all sides with paper towels, then season both sides generously with kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon per side). Set it uncovered on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
2. If you plan to cook it soon, let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. For even better flavor and a superior crust, leave it uncovered in the fridge for 4–6 hours (that’s my go-to method for thick, 2-inch/5 cm steaks).
3. If you refrigerate it, take the steak out about 30 minutes before cooking so it’s not ice-cold when it hits the pan.

Preheat the Pan & Oven

1. Set your oven to 275°F (135°C). While it warms up, get your pan ready for the sear.
2. Place a heavy pan (cast iron, carbon steel, or a stainless steel skillet) over medium-high heat and let it heat for 3–4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of high-smoke point oil and let it heat for another minute. Once the pan and oil are hot, you’re ready to sear.
3. You don’t need much oil for well-marbled steaks, but if you’re cooking a leaner cut like filet mignon, you can use up to 2 tablespoons (30 ml) to help with browning.

Pan-Sear the Steak

1. Pat the steak dry again with paper towels, then season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground black pepper per pound/454 g of steak (optional). Don’t use coarse pepper.
2. Carefully place the steak in the hot pan and press it down gently so it makes full contact with the surface. Sear it, flipping every 30 seconds, until you build an even, golden-brown crust on both sides. Keep the heat at medium-high.
3. Optional: If your steak has a fat cap (like picanha or a strip steak), you can start by searing the fat side down for 60–90 seconds to render some of the fat.
4. For a steak about 2 inches (5 cm) thick, sear it for 5 minutes (excluding the optional fat-side sear). Don’t go longer unless you’re okay with a thicker gray band under the crust. Once you’re happy with the crust, turn off the heat and move on to the next step.

Transfer the Steak to the Oven

You can finish the steak in the oven two different ways. The method you choose affects how evenly it cooks inside and how much of a gray band forms under the crust.

1. Option 1 (my preferred method): Transfer the steak to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and place it in the center of your preheated oven. With air circulating all around, the steak cooks more evenly on both sides, and you get a much smaller gray band.
2. Option 2 (if you don’t have a wire rack): Place the whole pan (with the steak) into the oven (make sure your pan is oven-safe). With this method, the steak cooks less evenly because the bottom sits on a very hot pan while the top is exposed to the gentler oven heat. A larger temperature difference creates a stronger temperature gradient inside the steak, leading to a thicker gray band just under the crust.
   

   

3. Whichever option you use, bake the steak at 275°F (135°C) until the internal temperature is about 15°F (8°C) below your final target doneness (see the temperature chart below). Don’t cook by time, cook by temperature. Use a meat thermometer to monitor the steak’s internal temperature.
4. Once it hits your target temperature, carefully remove the wire rack and baking sheet (or the pan) from the oven. Transfer the steak to a wooden cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. As it rests, the heat inside (residual heat) continues to cook the steak, bringing it to your target doneness.

Add Aromatics

1. As the steak rests, place two thin slices of compound butter on top. If you don’t have compound butter, place a bit of unsalted butter.
2. Another option is to sear a few garlic cloves and a couple of sprigs of rosemary or thyme in a pan over medium-high heat while the steak rests. Then, melt some butter in the same pan and spoon that mixture over the steak right before serving.

Serve the Steak

1. Once the steak has rested, slice it thinly and serve it with your favorite sides.
2. If you skipped the compound butter and used the pan juices instead, pour them over the sliced steak right before serving.