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Best Way to Make Broiled Steak

Broiled Steak Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories:
Author: Victor
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Ingredients

For the steaks

  • 2-4 steaks of your choice (striploin, sirloin, etc.)
  • salt and coarsely ground pepper (to taste)
  • olive oil for brushing (about 1-2 tablespoons)

For the chili garlic compound butter

  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper (or serrano pepper)
  • A dash of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp finely minced fresh cilantro (I used 3 tablespoons as I love cilantro)
  • Kosher salt (to taste, if needed. I don't add)

Instructions

Salt the steak for tenderness and better flavor

  • To get the best out of your steak, it's best salt it at least a few hours before broiling. Apply salt all over the steaks. You can add pepper at this point as well. Place on a platter or a tray fitted with a small cooling rack and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. 
    I simply use the packaging tray steak come in, lined with a piece of parchment paper and a few long wooden skewers placed on top to prevent the meat soaking in own juices. You want the surface to be dry to achieve best browning.
    Salting steak in a fridge for a few hours before broiling makes them tender and more flavorful.

To prepare chili garlic butter for the broiled steak

  • Take a sheet of parchment paper, at least 12 by 12 inches. Place the butter on one side the parchement paper, fold the other side over the butter and press down to flatten it to about a 4x4-inch piece. Evenly sprinkle the minced cilantro and the rest of the ingredients over the butter. 
    Now, fold the paper with the butter in half. Press down to flatten. Repeat several times. Using your hands, shape the butter into a 1 1/2 inch long long. Wrap with the parchment paper and refrigerate.
    Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to using and cut into 2-4 disks, depending on how many steaks you are broiling, and leave at room temperature.

Prepare steak and oven for broiling

  • Remove the steaks from the fridge 45 minutes to one hour before broiling, to let them come up to room temperature. Room temperature steaks cook faster and more uniformly, giving you best results.
  • Place the cast iron griddle, or a cast iron pan, on the rack located in the second position from the top, about 5 inches from the broiler element. Preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes on high broil.

Broil the steak as follows:

  • Once the oven and the griddle are preheated, it's time to load the steaks. If the steak surface is slightly wet, pat it dry with paper towels to remove the moisture. Using a really good oven mitt (the oven will be very hot), open the oven and slide the rack with the griddle out. 
    Spray of brush a little bit of oil on each side of the steaks to prevent sticking.
    Drop the steaks on the griddle and slide the rack back in. Close the oven. 
  • Broil on high for exactly 3 minutes.
  • Flip using long tongs, and broil for another 3 minutes.
  • Flip again and broil for another 3 minutes. 
    If your steak is thin, e.g. 1 inch or thinner, this is the time to start checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer. I like having a BBQ thermometer probe inserted in one steak, this gives me an idea of where my temps are at any point, without any stress.
  • Then flip again, and, you may have guessed it, broil for another 3 minutes. 
    If your steak is thicker, e.g. 1 1/4 inch or thicker, this is the time to start checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer.
  • Now, turn the steak on the side and broil for 3 minutes. A thicker steak will stand on its side without a problem, but a thin won't. If you are using thinner steaks, just flip them again. Check for doneness.
  • Turn the steak to the other side, or just flip it again. Cook for 3 minutes. A thicker steak should hit about 130F now, at least in my oven,  which is when you want to take it out if you are after medium rare doneness. 
  • Keep going, using the same method, until the desired doneness is achieved (see notes).

Resting the steak and serving

  • Remove the steaks from the oven and immediately transfer to a serving platter to stop cooking. Immediately top with compound butter to let it melt a little. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes and serve with your favorite side dish. Smashed potatoes go so well with this broiled steak!

Notes

 
Below is the table of temps that are commonly used to judge steak doneness based on how you like it to be.
Steak Doneness Remove from Oven at this Temp Final Cooked Temp
Rare 120°F 125°F
Medium Rare 130°F 135°F
Medium 140°F 145°F
Medium Well 150°F 155°F
Well Done 160°F 165°F
Sources: AmazingRibs.com, CertifiedAngusBeef.com.