When it comes to cooking a mouthwatering and perfectly cooked steak, Alton Brown, the renowned culinary expert and TV personality, has established himself as a maestro of the art. His innovative techniques and meticulous approach to creating flavorful and tender steaks have garnered widespread recognition and praise. In this article, we will delve into the world of Alton Brown's steak-cooking expertise, exploring the secrets behind his exceptional dishes and providing you with a guide to help you replicate his culinary magic in your own kitchen. Whether you prefer a juicy rib-eye, a succulent strip loin, or a well-marbled filet mignon, this comprehensive guide will arm you with the knowledge and techniques you need to achieve steak-cooking excellence, ensuring that every bite is an unforgettable experience.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
REVERSE-SEAR RIBEYE STEAK
In 2001, I started playing with the idea of reverse-searing, or slow-cooking beef first, then searing to finish. Initially, I tried it on a standing rib roast and not only did the technique produce an evenly done interior and great sear, it didn't smoke up the kitchen nearly as bad as the traditional sear-first method. Does this work on steak? Anyone with a food blog these days knows darn well it does. As for sauce, this steak don't need no stinkin' sauce - but if you happen to have some of my compound herb butter on hand, that wouldn't be bad. Note: A proper probe thermometer has a control base with a readout, a long metal cable and a long, sharp probe that goes into the food and remains throughout cooking. Typically, the base will have a temperature alarm that can be set to go off when a target temperature is reached.This recipe first appeared in Season 1 of Good Eats: Reloaded.
Provided by Level Agency
Categories Mains
Time 7h30m
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Season steak on both sides with the salt and place on a rack set inside a rimmed sheet pan. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to 24.
- Heat oven to 200ºF. Insert a probe thermometer horizontally through the side of the steak and roast, still on the rack and sheet pan, until it reaches an internal temperature of 120ºF, about 1 hour. Remove steak from the oven and rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat until it reaches at least 600ºF, at least 10 minutes. (If you don't have an infrared thermometer, you'll know you're close when 1/2 teaspoon water dropped in the middle of the pan has completely evaporated in 5 seconds.
- Brush a very light coat of peanut oil onto both sides of the steak. Transfer to the hot skillet and sear on each side until deeply browned, 45 seconds per side. Use a stopwatch!
- Transfer to a clean rack and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice diagonally against the grain to serve.
SIRLOIN STEAK
For dinner tonight, try Alton Brown's Sirloin Steak from Good Eats on Food Network; the beef gets a brush of olive oil and a quick zap in the broiler.
Provided by Alton Brown
Categories main-dish
Time 23m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Preheat oven on broiler setting. Make foil 'snake' out of aluminum foil to use to keep oven door slightly ajar so that broiler won't turn off if it gets too hot. Brush steak with oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Place a piece of foil on the bottom rack as a drip pan. Place another rack in the position above this and put the steak directly on this rack. Cook steak in this position for 5 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 5 minutes. Move rack with steak to top position in oven, moving rack with foil and drippings just underneath, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip 1 last time and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer steak to wire rack and rest for 3 to 5 minutes. The above times are for medium doneness. Adjust cooking times up or down as desired.
PAN-SEARED RIB-EYE
For an easy, meaty main, try Alton Brown's recipe for Pan-Seared Rib Eye from Good Eats on Food Network. The trick to a good sear? A hot skillet.
Provided by Alton Brown
Categories main-dish
Time 15m
Yield 1 to 2 servings
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Place a 10-to-12-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Bring the steak to room temperature.
- When the oven reaches temperature, remove the skillet and place on the range over high heat for 5 minutes. Coat the steak lightly with oil and sprinkle both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper.
- Immediately place the steak in the middle of the hot, dry skillet. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip the steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium-rare steak. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.)
- Remove the steak from the skillet, cover loosely with foil and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.
STEAK AU POIVRE
Steps:
- Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt.
- Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or using a mallet and pie pan. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean.
- Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or firestick. Gently shake pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the teaspoon of Cognac and season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.
BEEF JERKY
Make Alton Brown's Beef Jerky at home with this popular recipe from Good Eats on Food Network. The brine is packed with salty, sweet and spicy flavor.
Provided by Alton Brown
Time 20h20m
Yield 10 to 12 ounces
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
- Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.
- Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
- Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.
- Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.
STEAK TARTARE
Steps:
- Cut the steak into 1-inch cubes and park in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the vinegar, dry mustard and egg yolks together in a small bowl. Whisk continuously while streaming in the oil until emulsified, then whisk in the shallots, capers, salt, and roughly 2/3 of the celery leaves and parsley.
- Hand chop the meat to your desired texture. (Alternately, divide the meat into 4 batches and pulse each batch separately 3 to 4 times in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the standard S-blade.)
- With clean hands, quickly fold the meat and dressing together. Plate using a 3 3/4-inch pastry ring and garnish with the reserved herbs and lemon zest.
STRIP STEAK WITH PEPPER CREAM SAUCE
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
- Sprinkle steaks with kosher salt and crushed black pepper. Heat butter in a 12-inch, heavy bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Once butter is hot, add steaks and cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare and 3 minutes per side for medium. Remove steaks from pan and place on a rack set on a sheet pan; place in oven to keep warm.
- Add the stock to the saute pan and whisk until the crispy bits release from bottom of pan. Allow the liquid to reduce for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-high heat. Add cognac, heavy cream, and green peppercorns to the pan. Increase heat to high and cook, whisking continually, until sauce thickens slightly, just enough to coat the back of a spoon; this will take 5 to 7 minutes.
- Season the sauce, to taste, with kosher salt. Place steaks on plates, top with sauce, and serve immediately.
SKIRT STEAK
Alton Brown's Skirt Steak recipe, from Good Eats on Food Network, marinates a thin cut in soy sauce for maximum flavor. Alton's special tool? A blow dryer!
Provided by Alton Brown
Categories main-dish
Time 1h27m
Yield 8 servings as fajita meat or 4 as main course
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat charcoal, preferably natural chunk, until grey ash appears. In a blender, put in oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, red pepper, cumin, and sugar and puree. In a large heavy duty, zip top bag, put pieces of skirt steak and pour in marinade. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Allow steak to marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator.
- Remove steak from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Using a blow dryer, blow charcoal clean of ash. Once clean of ash lay steaks directly onto hot coals for 1 minute per side. When finished cooking, place meat in double thickness of aluminum foil, wrap, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- Remove meat from foil, reserving foil and juices. Slice thinly across the grain of the meat. Return to foil pouch and toss with juice. Serve with grilled peppers and onions, if desired.
CUBE STEAK SALISBURY STYLE - ALTON BROWN
Supremely tender, this takes cube steak and elevates it to the next level, braising it in a sauce inspired by Salisbury steak. Published at Serious Eats by Nick Kindlesperger, adapted from a recipe in _I'm Just Here For the Food_ by Alton Brown. http://bit.ly/9D4psv
Provided by DrGaellon
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 45m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Place oven rack in lower middle position and preheat to 250°F Meanwhile, stir together flour, salt, and black pepper on a large plate. Dredge both sides of each cube steak in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Add one tablespoon each of oil and butter to Dutch oven and place over medium high heat. When oil is shimmering, add two cube steaks. Cook until golden brown, about four minutes on each side. Remove cube steaks to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining two cube steaks, adding more oil and butter if necessary.
- Carefully pour out any fat left in Dutch oven, then add remaining butter and oil. Turn heat to medium-high, and when oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is caramelized, about three minutes. Add wine. Using wooden spatula, scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan.
- Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and stock. Stir well, then add cube steaks, nestling them into sauce as much as possible. Cover dutch oven and place on lower-middle rack of oven. Cook until very tender, about 25 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 261.3, Fat 16.2, SaturatedFat 6.1, Cholesterol 22.9, Sodium 893.5, Carbohydrate 17.8, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 2.5, Protein 4.4
ALTON BROWN'S PAN SEARED STEAK
Categories Beef
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature. When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste. Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.) Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.
PAN SEARED STEAK (FROM ALTON BROWN)
This might even be better than grilling and is just as easy! (No joke!) Super tender, super juicy, super flavorful! Can't go wrong with Alton Brown! Note: Cooking time includes time to bring steaks to room temperature.
Provided by Dwynnie
Categories Steak
Time 1h15m
Yield 2 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Remove steak(s) from fridge and start bringing them to room temperature.
- After 30 to 45 minutes, place a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees F.
- When oven reaches temperature, remove the pan and place it on a burner over high heat.
- Coat steak(s) lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.
- Immediately place steak(s) in the middle of the hot, dry pan. Cook 30 to 60 seconds without moving. Turn the steak(s) with tongs and cook another 30 to 60 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Flip steak(s) and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. (The time in the oven depends on how rare you like your steaks. The time given is for medium, but depends on number of steaks, etc. as well.)
- Remove the steak(s) from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes.
- Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.
ALTON BROWN MARINADE FOR BEEF
This came out of one of Alton Brown's book. I can't remember the title, but this is hands down, for our family, the BEST marinade for all cuts of beef. This recipe makes enough for 1 to 1.5 lbs of beef.
Provided by 2ChinaGirls
Categories Low Cholesterol
Time 10m
Yield 1 Cup, enough to marinate 1 to 1.5 pounds of meat, 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Whisk all ingredients together.
- Use as a marinade for almost all cuts of beef. The longer the meat sits in the marinade (in the frig, of course) the better. I try to let it marinate a minimum of 24 hours. For large tri-tip roasts I try for 72 hours.
- Cook as desired -- the grill is best, though.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 70, Fat 3.6, SaturatedFat 0.5, Sodium 1560.5, Carbohydrate 7, Fiber 0.3, Sugar 3.5, Protein 2.7
Tips:
- Choose a steak that is at least 1 inch thick for best results.
- Pat the steak dry with paper towels before cooking to help it sear better.
- Season the steak generously with salt and pepper before cooking.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or grill over medium-high heat before adding the steak.
- Sear the steak for 2-3 minutes per side, or until it is browned and crusty.
- Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the steak for an additional 5-7 minutes per side, or until it reaches your desired doneness.
- Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Serve the steak with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or a simple salad.
Conclusion:
Alton Brown's steak recipes are a great way to cook a delicious and juicy steak at home. By following his tips and techniques, you can easily achieve perfectly cooked steak every time. Whether you prefer a rare, medium-rare, or well-done steak, there is a recipe here for you. So next time you're in the mood for a steak, give one of these recipes a try.
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