Pan Seared Grass-fed Steak with Garlic Herb Butter

I have experimented with many different cooking techniques in pursuit of the perfect grass-fed steak.  After many side by side taste tests we have found a winner…hands down the best steak we have ever made (I say “we” because the farmer helped on this one).  So, what is the secret to getting an extremely tender, juicy and not to mention bursting with incredible flavor grass-fed steak in you own kitchen?

Salt.  Or you could call it dry brining.  Which is basically salt.

Let me explain...

Dry brining is when you liberally salt both sides of the thawed steak and leave it sit at room temperature for about an hour.

The salt will pull the liquid from the meat to the surface where it will dissolve the salt, then the meat pulls it back in.  The salt then breaks down the protein, naturally tenderizing the meat and keeping the moisture in.  This also allows the salt to get all the way into the meat instead of just on the surface like it would be if you only salted right before cooking.  You might think that the meat would taste overly salty but it doesn’t. Just full of incredible flavor. It is important that you do not use regular table salt, use sea salt or Real Salt.

Preparation:

We used Seven Sons Farm Delmonico Steaks but this method will work for Filet mignon, sirloin, or any steak cut.  Thaw steaks in refrigerator.  Pat dry then liberally salt both sides of steak (about half a teaspoon per pound of meat, I never measure though).  Let sit on a plate or baking sheet at room temperature for about 1 hour per inch of thickness.  Flip steak over after 30 minutes.

Next, rinse the steaks under cold water and pat very dry. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper.  Now they are ready to cook!

Cooking:

Pre-heat oven to 500°.  Place cast iron skillet in oven to get hot, about 5 minutes (have the skillet heating while you are rinsing and drying the steaks).  When skillet is good and hot, take it out and place on a hot burner.

Place prepared steaks in the hot skillet.  Sear for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Then place the skillet with steaks in the 500° oven. Let cook for another 2 minutes or to desired doneness.  Be careful not to overcook.  Grass-fed steaks are best when cooked to an internal temperature of around 125-140 degrees.  When done, remove steaks from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes.  Top each steak with 1 tablespoon of garlic herb butter.

Garlic-Herb Butter:

1/2 cup grassfed butter, softened

1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried parsley

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl (you can do this while the steaks are dry brining). When steaks are done place a tablespoon of the butter mixture on each steak.

Enjoy!

Make sure to check out all the grass-fed steaks in the Seven Sons Farms online store.

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