You're right. A fat steak does taste better.
You know what tastes even better? A fat steak thats been reverse seared.
We'll get all technical about reverse searing and the science behind it in another article but in a nutshell - we're looking to cook the steak in an oven at a low temperature to bring the steak within 10F of the final desired doneness and then finish it on a searing hot pan to get that gorgeous dark crust.
No need for a temp probe or a BBQ with this guide. This guide was written for our customers that asked us how to best cook a 1.5inch That Fat Cow steak in a kitchen and without any gadgets.
Grab a steak 1.5inch fat - our thick cuts of USDA or Bone In Dry Aged will work amazing and let's get started.
What Do I Need?
- A pan - a heavy bottomed or cast iron pan is preferable.
- Coarse salt - we prefer to use kosher salt.
- Ground Black Pepper.
- Optional: Knob of butter.
- Optional: Garlic, Rosemary or a Steak Rub Seasoning.
- Oil - Olive Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Avocado Oil.
- The timer on your phone - timing is key.
We like our beef mostly medium rare - cooked through to the centre but retaining a nice pink colour with a hint of red. This reverse sear method has a total cook time of about 35 minutes for medium rare and 5minutes longer for medium.
Dry Brine! Dry Brine! Dry Brine! It really brings out the flavour on a fat steak. We use kosher salt as the flakes are bigger and it's much easier to see when coating a steak.
Step 1: Bring the steak up to room temperature and pat dry with a tissue to remove any surface moisture. Place the steak on a wire rack with a tray underneath ideally or something that will allow air to flow around the steak. Liberally coat the steak all over with kosher salt - about half a teaspoon in total is good. If you only have table salt to hand, use about a quarter teaspoon. Put the steak in the fridge for a few hours (minimum 4hrs) - we prefer to leave it overnight.
Step 2: Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it up to room temperature. Again it's best to pat dry the steak with tissue to remove any surface moisture - this will ensure a nice dark crust. You can add fresh cracked pepper or any steak seasoning rub at this point.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 120C / Gas Mark 0.5 (electric) / Gas Mark 1 (Fan).
Step 4: Place the steak in the oven (uncovered) on a wire rack for 30 minutes for medium rare and 35 minutes for medium.
Step 5: Remove the steak from the oven. Pat it dry with tissue to remove any surface moisture.
Step 6: Bring the pan up to a very high heat, add a teaspoon of oil. Once the oil starts to smoke, you're good to get searing.
Step 7: Get the timer ready. This is going to require some quick work! Add the steak to the pan, press it down to get an even contact with the pan and let it sit for 45 seconds.
Step 8: Flip the steak over after the 45 seconds, throw in a tablespoon of butter, some garlic and rosemary (optional - but we recommend it) and let it sit for another 45 seconds whilst basting it with the butter.
Step 9: Flip and sear for another 20 seconds each side.
Final Step: Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest! It's tempting to dive straight in but it is paramount you let the steak rest for 6 - 8 minutes, either on a board or warm plate. This will ensure that the steak juices get re-absorbed leaving you with a delightfully tender steak to enjoy. You can also add a hot butter sauce on top and a sprinkling of finishing salt.
