[French Fries]

I bought a very nice bone in rib steak (aka bone in rib-eye). It's 1.6 lbs, and the thickness is only 1inch in the center, but 2inch where the bone is.

I want to prepare it so it's rare.

I just bought a "Cordon Bleu" book by Eric Treuille, who I respect a lot, but I'm surprised to see he recommends, for a rare steak, 2 hours outside the fridge, then 5mn on each side over a burner to sear it, then 20 min per pound + 20 min (that's over 50 min for my steak) in an oven @ 350 F. That seems like an awful lot of cooking? My gut feeling would be to sear it 2:30mn on each side, then maybe 10 or 15 min in an oven or another 3min on each side on a medium-slow burner - although I've never finished a steak in an oven before. I don't want blue, but I don't want medium-rare either.

Any tips?

Once the (stainless steel) pan comes out of the oven, will the fond still be useable to make a sauce?

Thanks!!

[boar_d_laze]

Your instinct is very good.

Remove the steak from the refrigerator, and put it in a closely fitting pan. Add about 1-1/2 tbs of red wine and 1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce to the pan, turn the steak so it's well coated, and cover the pan with cling wrap. After 15 minutes, turn the steak. In another five minutes the steak will be sufficiently tempered to cook.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425.

The wine/Worcestershire marinade will have blended with the meat juices and formed a syrup. This is (a) normal, and (b) desirable. Pour off as much of the marinade as you can. Then season the moist steak with your preferred steak rub. The remaining syrupy marinade will act as a "slather" to hold the seasoning. Use enough seasoning so the surface of the steak is fairly dry.

Preheat a heavy, oven-proof skillet, large enough to hold the steak on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, remove it from the heat and add a small amount of oil -- no more than a couple of teaspoons. If the oil flows easily in the pan, it is hot. If it seems thick and moves slowly you'll have to preheat it.

In any case, return the pan to the fire, and, when the oil is hot, add the steak to the pan. Cook just until the surface is seared and the seasonings form a crust. To determine the exact timing -- shake the pan occasionally as you cook the steak. As long as the surface is searing, the steak will stick to the pan. When the steak "releases," after about 3 minutes, it's ready to turn.

So, turn it already. Sear the second side for about 90 seconds and place the steak, pan and all, in the oven. For rare, at this thickness, figure 15 minutes per pound less searing time. 23 minutes, less 4-1/2 = 18-1/2. That means you check with the "press test" or an instant read thermometer at 16 minutes -- just in case.

Remove the steak from the oven when it feels rare, or if you're using a thermometer, at 120 (rare on the coasts), or 125 - 130 (rare in the heartland).

Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest, loosely tented on a warm plate for at least 7 but no more than 15 minutes. Drain any fat or oil from the pan, return the pan to the stove, deglaze and make a pan reduction. If you think you can get away with wasting the fond in that pan, you are sadly mistaken.

BDL

[chefjohnpaul]

Well, I go head to head with Boar de laze again! (How are you sir.) I will also give you another option that is a bit unconventional but I've had success time over, especially when there is not an even thickness of meat. This will also help with the silver that connects the cap to the eye. Preheat an oven to 180'F, Get a grill or a cast iron skillet hot and sear steak on both sides until well caramelized (if steak is a room temp this will speed up the finish), transfer to a warm pie pan and place in the slow oven for about 1/2 hour or per pound for rare/med rare.(Since oven is so slow you have more leaway-also less moisture loss. That's why it's important to develop flavor before hand with high heat.)

I did this with a 2 lb. Hereford T-Bone and the results were phenomenal. Just an alternate method. (Oh, yes- season to taste.)

[French Fries]

Thanks guys!

So I made the steak before I saw your replies. I decided to go for 2:30 min each side searing on high in the pan, then 20 min at 350 F in the oven. I told my guest, who wanted the steak rare - in fact she said she usually ordered blue in restaurants just so they don't cook it too much - and she said that didn't sound like enough. So between her and the book I finally left it in the oven 25 min, then 10 min rest while I made the sauce. But when I cut the steak, horror! It was brown throughout. No pink trace.

Served it, my guest said she actually loved it because it was moist and she just didn't like when it was dry. I'm still not happy, that steak definitely wasn't rare. More like a "moist" medium-well.

Before I saw your replies, I was thinking next time, same searing, but 10 min in the oven top, then 10 min rest.

Now I realize:
1) I put too much oil in my pan (maybe 3 tablespoons).
2) "If you think you can get away with wasting the fond in that pan, you are sadly mistaken." is going to be my new moto.
3) The steak released a lot of juices at the end of the oven cooking. In fact I kept some of it (not all) for the sauce, learned (maybe adapted) from bd_laze: cognac, shallots, dijon, creme fraiche, marsala, salt, green pepper.

[phatch]

Part of the problem with this particular steak was the uneven thickness. Sounds like it was an end piece.

Next time you get an uneven piece like this, you might consider a reverse sear technique. Basically, you roast the steak in a LOW oven to an inner temp of about 100 for rare, slap it on a blistering hot pan for the sear on both sides. This is just for exterior sear, not really cooking, let it rest a bit, and then eat.

This will give you more info

Reverse Sear Ribeyes - Discuss Cooking Community

[st101]

This is how I cook my steak, and I like it rare. I usually get a very good steak cooking it this way.

1. Leave out of fridge for about 15min.

2. Put stainless steel pan in oven, turn oven to 500F.

3. Rub the steak with kosher salt and black pepper, or a steak spice.

4. Lightly oil both sides of the steak. I use peanut oil for it's high smoke pt.

5. Turn on stovetop to about 8-9. Take out pan from oven once it reaches 500F. Put on hot stove.

6. Wait a few seconds for the stove to heat the pan up more.

7. Place the steak in the pan, searing for about 40-70sec.

8. Turn and sear the other side (if it doesn't release easily, sear a few seconds longer). It tends to smoke a lot, so I have the fan going, and take the pan off the stove around 40 sec and old it under the fan. Takes a few more seconds for most of the smoke to stop.

9. Turn, and place in the hot oven. For a steak that's 1.5", I'll leave it in there for about 2.5-3 min. Less than 1" and I won't go past 2 minutes max.

10. Turn steak and cook for another 2.5-3min.

11. Put it on a plate (I flip it before putting it on, not sure if that's necessary) and cover semi-tightly with foil. Sometimes I will put some butter on top of the steak for the last 20 seconds or so while it's in the oven, then I don't turn before plating.

12. Let rest for 5-7 min.

Voila, perfect rare steak!