Juicy and full of flavour rib eye steak is undoubtedly the king of steaks when cooked properly. Drizzle Sicilian Salmoriglio sauce aka lemon herb sauce all over yours for a taste of summer!

Serve this gorgeous steak with Pesto Potato Salad at your next BBQ!

sliced rib eye steak with herb sauce on grey plate

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Best Cut of Steak

When it comes to steaks people’s opinions vary greatly on the cut, on the method of cooking but most of all on the degree of doneness. Many articles have been written on the best ways to cook them which often elevate the process to great heights.

Cooking steak is often being presented as the greatest mystery and with success requiring amazing skills.

The truth is, while you can ruin a good steak by overcooking it, the biggest part of success lies in the meat quality. And the cut.

There are many cuts of steak and many of them deliver delicious albeit slightly different results. If you are after lean meat, go for sirloin steak. If you are after great texture and tenderness, fillet is your choice.

Rib-Eye Steak

However if you are after flavour, you can’t go wrong with rib eye! Named after a roundish fat deposit in the center of the cut, resembling an eye, this steak delivers mind blowing result!

Tender, juicy and packed with flavour, thanks to fat marbling that runs through the entire steak, this cut of meat will never disappoint. This cut could come boneless or with a rib bone attached.

cooked ribeye steak on grey plate and a small dish of herb sauce near it

Best way to cook it

There are two main ways to cook steak. You can grill your steak or you can pan fry it. They each have their pros and cons.

While grilling imparts an alluring smell of smoke to the steak, it’s restricted by season, weather dependant and often simply not available to us urbanites.

Truth is you can cook your steak on a frying pan with absolutely outstanding results! Once again it’s all about the meat quality and only a little bit about the cooking.

How to Cook Rib Eye in a Frying Pan

Pan frying a ribeye is very easy and delivers consistently delicious results if you follow my simple rules.

Use a cast iron pan if available and preheat it to screaming hot.
Drizzle the pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprig of thyme or rosemary. Both add flavour.
Place the steak on the pan and do not touch for 2-2.5 minutes. This will develop a good sear.
Flip on the other side and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Baste your steak with butter.
A ribeye needs to be cooked to a medium rare to a medium to allow the fat to render and flavour the meat. If prefer your steak on a rare side, clear clear of ribeye. Nobody want a mouthful of raw fat!
On average a medium rare ribeye, which is 1.5 inch thick, will take 5-6 minutes to cook. It should register 60C/145F on your meat thermometer. Make sure to sear the fatty sides as well.
Remove from the pan to a plate and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Then slice and serve.

For another method of cooking ribeye, take a look at Reverse Sear Ribeye, which has lately gained huge popularity and diehard fans!

Homemade steak sauces

There are so many steak sauces to choose from. One of my personal favourites is Creamy Cognac Mushroom Steak Sauce. Garlic Herb Butter is another winner. As much as I love these steak sauces, I reserve them for colder weather.

In the summer I prefer either Argentinian Chimichurri or Sicilian Lemon and Herb Sauce Salmoriglio. It’s actually very similar to the chimichurri but with flavour that is more lemon forward.

This sauce is also very versatile and is absolutely delicious with fish and vegetables, the more traditional use of Salmoriglio in its native Sicily.

The sauce is refreshingly quick to make, so I wait till the steaks are resting to make it. This allows me to keep an eye on the steaks to prevent overcooking.

Recipe tips and notes

There are certain things that apply whether you are grilling or pan frying your steak. One is to take steak out of refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking or 1 hour for extra thick cuts. By bringing your steak to room temperature you are ensuring that it will cook evenly.
Generously season it with salt. You can add pepper if desired but it’s not essential. Press the seasoning into the meat with a spatula or the palm of your hand.
Salt helps to draw out the moisture from the surface, which will sear instead of steam once we get to the cooking part. It’s important to dab that extra moisture with paper towel before placing the meat on a pan or a grill.
It should take 5-6 minutes to cook your steak to medium rare, or 7-9 minutes for medium. If your prefer your steaks well done, it should take approximately 10 minutes. For medium rare, the temperature should read 60C/145F when tested with meat thermometer.
These timings are based on 400g/14oz rib eye steaks which were 4cm/1.5 inch thick. If your steaks are thinner, they will take less time to cook.

Serving suggestions

Let’s build a meal around this beautiful steak and fresh, herby sauce. If you are like me, steak needs potatoes.

In which case, I recommend Chipotle Mayo Roasted Potatoes Wedges or a hearty Baked/Jacket Potato with Spicy Baked Beans, which I served with a similar sauce to this steak.

Let’s add a salad to your steak and potatoes. I would reach for one that is fresh-tasting to go along with savoury steak and potatoes. Zucchini Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette or Herby Farro Salad with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes are both perfect choices.

If you haven’t added a potato dish already, or are serving this as part of a BBQ spread, then a heartier salad will be just right. Dill Potato Salad, Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette and Greek Orzo Salad are perfectly substantial sides, and great partners for steak!

Storage and leftovers

You’ll be able to store leftover steak in the fridge for 3-4 days. Remember that the steak will keep releasing juices, so keep it on a lower shelf so it doesn’t leak onto other items, as well as in a single layer.

The best way to reheat leftover steak is to take it out of the fridge for 30-60 minutes before reheating to allow it to slowly come to room temperature. Then place the steak on a wire rack overtop a baking sheet with sides to capture any juices that are released, in an oven preheated to 135C/275F. Placing it on a wire rack gives air the chance to circulate around the steak and heat it more evenly.

Leave it in the oven until the internal temperature rises to 45C/110F, then place it in a hot skillet with a little oil to sear it on each side. This should take about 1 minutes. Let it rest on a plate for 5 minutes before serving.

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