As the MasterChef star explained, cooking a steak that is “stone cold” in the middle forces you to overdo the outside just to get the inside warmed through.
Preparation is key, and seasoning should not be rushed. Ramsay advised using salt and large grains of pepper to coat the meat before cooking. He instructed, “Mop up that seasoning and sort of push it in.”
Once the pan is smoking hot, swirl in a bit of olive oil—just enough to coat the base.
Then comes a golden rule of the kitchen: “Always lay the steaks away from you, and let the pan do the work.”
An important step of the chef’s method is his emphasis on searing rather than boiling, which happens when the pan isn’t hot enough or there’s too much moisture.
After searing, turn the steak gently with tongs and use them to hold the fatty edge against the pan to render it down.
For the finishing touches, Ramsay added crushed, unpeeled garlic and fresh thyme directly into the pan for aroma and depth, advising that they create “really nice flavour.”
Then, with the steak still cooking, he added knobs of butter—melting them into the hot oil and herbs to begin basting. As he puts it, “this is where the steak starts to take on a completely different flavour.”
Tilt the pan, spoon the infused butter over the steak, and use the garlic cloves to rub across the surface for added richness.
Once done, remove the steak from the heat and let it rest on a wooden board. Don’t skip this step, as resting allows the juices to redistribute, leaving the steak tender and juicy.
Plate it up with crispy chips, roast potatoes, herby mushrooms, or a fresh side salad—and you’ve got a steak dinner that looks and tastes incredible.