If You Can, Get a T-bone Steak with a Bigger Tenderloin and One That’s Cut Thick
Often this muscle can be small and will overcook easily. The bigger it is, the less of a difference in finishing temperature.
Here’s the tenderloin muscle I’m referring to, highlighted in dotted yellow:
2 Hours Before Cooking (Ideally Overnight), Dry Brine the Steak
Liberally apply kosher salt to both sides of the steak. Then put into your refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
The salt will:
- Enhance flavor
- Tenderize the meat
- Dry out the surface
The reason for 2 hours is because that’s how long it will take for the salt to draw water out and then re-absorb.
If the Steak Has a Large Fat Cap on the Strip, Remove Some
This back fat won’t render.
You could render it in the pan but it’s also a lot of fat, I just slice some of it off if there’s a lot.
The Next Day or 2 Hours Later, Pat Dry the Steak with a Paper Towel
The reason for doing this is so that the surface moisture doesn’t have to evaporate before being allowed to form a crust.
Then crack some black peppercorn – or don’t and put pepper on later.
Some people don’t like the way pepper tastes in the pan, I do.
Set Your Burner to Medium-High Heat and Allow Your Skillet or Pan to Heat Up for 3-6 Minutes
Once heated, add your neutral cooking oil and wait for it to shimmer.
I used more oil than I normally would here simply to compensate for the bone and the meat shrinking.
This is especially common with t-bone steak – causing an uneven sear.
Once the oil shimmers and you see a slight smoke, place your t-bone steak away from you onto the skillet with your tongs.
With your tongs, lightly press on the steak to ensure even surface contact between the steak and the pan/oil.
Wait 90 Seconds, then Flip to a New Area of the Pan
Repeat this Every 90 Seconds Until 10F Under Your Target Temperature
My target is 125-130F.
So 125-10 = 115F.
Once at 10F Under Your Target, Take the Steak Off the Heat and Turn the Burner Off
Add 2 tbsp of Unsalted butter to the pan.
What you want to happen is for the butter to froth NOT brown.
Optional: Add aromatics like thyme and crushed garlic to the butter.
While frothing, have the steak at the top of the pan and angle the skillet towards the butter and with your spoon, begin basting the steak for 30 seconds on each side.
Flip the steak and repeat this 1 more time.
Allow the Steak to Rest for 5-7 Minutes Uncovered
During the rest the steak should finish at your target temperature – or 125-130F in my case.
Then slice against the grain and enjoy!
Pan Seared T-bone Steak
Ingredients
- High smoke point oil I use grapeseed oil
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter for basting with
- Kosher salt to dry brine with
- Freshly cracked peppercorns
Instructions
Dry Brine T-bone Steak
- The day before making your t-bone steak, dry brine with kosher salt. To do this, simply take some kosher salt and apply it to both sides and edges of the t-bone steak. Then put in your refrigerator to dry brine for 1-2 hours or overnight.Kosher salt
Searing Your T-bone Steak
- The next day when it's time to cook the steak, get your work station ready. You will need a heavy skillet – like cast iron, a high smoke point oil – like grapeseed, unsalted butter, peppercorns, tongs, basting spoon, probe thermometer, and paper towels.
- With your paper towel, pat dry all sides of the steak.
- Apply cracked peppercorns to the steak. I like the way the peppercorns taste when they're seared in the pan. Some people think they taste bitter – it's totally your preference.Freshly cracked peppercorns
- Set your heat to around medium-high..It should take around 3-6 minutes for the pan to be hot enough.
- With your hot pan, add your cold oil. You then want to wait for the surface of the oil to shimmer (see my photos above). For t-bone steak, I typically use a tad more oil simply because of the bone. This helps to compensate for when the meat shrinks and allows for better browning.High smoke point oil
- Once the oil is shimmering and you see a slight smoke, use your tongs to place the steak away from you and into the pan.
- Allow the steak to sear for 90 seconds and then flip the steak to a new section of the pan for another 90 seconds. Then repeat this process 1 more time (total of 3 minutes on each side).The goal here is to build a crust while undershooting your internal temperature target by about 10F. My goal is 125F so 125-10F = 115F. At 115F, I took the skillet off the heat; This took 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
- Once the skillet is off the heat, grab 2 tbsp of unsalted butter and add it to the pan. You want the steak on one side of the pan and the butter on the other. The butter will begin to froth.You then want to tilt the pan towards yourself at roughly a 15-20 degree angle. This way the steak is in the air and your butter is towards the edge of the pan. With your spoon you want to begin basting the steak with the frothed butter. Baste for 30 seconds, flip the steak, and then baste for another 30 seconds. I repeated this for 2 minutes total (30s x 2 on each side).2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- Take the steak off the skillet and place on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.
- Once rested, slice the steak against the grain and enjoy!
2 comments
Deb Smith
Thanks for the notes on the extra oil! I always get nervous with adding to much but it’s definitely needed here. I also had some thyme from my Garden so I added that when I butter basted.
Dylan Clay
Happy to help Deb!