I love a good steak, don't you? Last weekend for Mother's Day, my family celebrated with "The Great Steak Off." I went over to my Ma's place armed with five incredible PEI grass-fed rib-eyes and the challenge of determining once and for all how to cook a delicious steak. I grilled three of them on the charcoal grill, and I cooked the other steaks in a cast iron skillet. 

THE GOAL:

1. Give my mom a treat.
2. Poll everyone around the table to find out which was better... charcoal grilled or pan fried?

The verdict was pretty much unanimous... The steaks were equally good!

Now, if you told me before "The Great Steak Off" that it was possible to pan fry steak in a cast iron skillet and make it just as good as a flame kissed, subtly smokey steak BBQed to perfection, I would've told you to shove off. 

That is, until I perfected this stove top version. It's simple, fast, and delicious. Watch the video to see exactly how to cook the perfect pan fried steak.

WANT MORE INCREDIBLE MEAL IDEAS?

Key Points: How To Cook A Delicious Steak

1. Pick the best steak that you can. Spend more on organic pastured meat from a fancy butcher because it's more nutrient dense and really does taste better. I prefer rib-eye steaks.
    
2. Season the hell out of it. Cover both sides with black pepper and then sprinkle with sea salt.
    
3. The pan needs to be HOT to sear the meat properly. It's all about creating that peppery, salty crust on the outside of the meat. Know what I mean? A cast iron pan works best, since it holds a lot of heat.
    
4. Have your oven pre-heated to 400 degrees. Obviously you need a pan that is oven safe for this technique. Don't melt your plastic handle and claim I didn't warn you! It'll take about 5mins in the oven to cook through to medium rare, depending on the thickness (I usually get steaks about 1 inch thick).
    
5. If your steak isn't quite done, stick it back in on the oven for a bit longer, or just keep it cooking over medium heat on the stove after you add the garlic and butter and rosemary.
    
6. Not sure how to tell if your steak is done? Your sense of touch works well. Watch this video to learn how. Or use a meat thermometer and follow this guide. 

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