Perfect Pan Seared Boneless Ribeye with Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary| Keto

This pan-seared boneless ribeye has a nice, crusty sear on the outside, and is tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked on the inside. Bursting with the flavors of high quality beef, lemon, rosemary, butter, and garlic, you’ll certainly crave this dish time and time again.

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Peace, family. I know I’ve mentioned this on the blog before but my husband Terrance loves steak. It’s like… an indescribable, irrational love. What does he order no matter where we go for dinner? Steak. What does he ask me to cook every birthday and holiday? Steak. What did he stand before 200 of our closest family and friends, pledging to love, honor, and protect? Steak. Ok, I may have been there too. His absolute favorite is the boneless ribeye, cooked medium rare.

Being a self-taught home cook (who respects the hell out of actual chefs), I’m always on the hunt for the very best methods and techniques. I have tons of trusted cooking mentors, many of whom I only get to speak to in my head. One of them is Samin Nosrat, the genius behind ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’ the book and Netflix series. I could gush all day, but I will simply state that I love and adore her so much and her book is never far from me, especially when I’m in the kitchen. I used a combination of methods from various trusted sources to achieve the perfect flavor, crust, and center.

How to Make the Perfect Pan Seared Boneless Ribeye

I liberally salt both sides of the steak at least an hour in advance and allow it to rest uncovered on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking tray. While, again, I do this at least an hour in advance, the longer you allow it to dry brine (up to 2-3 days) the better. This produces an exceptionally juicy, tender, flavorful steak, and here’s why:

• Resting the steak will result in a better sear since the outer surface has the opportunity dry out.
• The salt will penetrate the surface of the steak breaking down proteins and ensuring that the internal moisture of the steak is retained.
• The time will allow the steak to be seasoned internally, and not just on the surface

Bringing your steak to room temperature is an important step in getting your steak to cook evenly. I allow mine to sit on a wire rack on the counter for at least two hours prior to cooking.

Samin suggests getting your skillet (cast iron) as hot as possible by preheating it in a 500° oven for 20 minutes. Yes, this method is going to require a bit of ventilation. Prepare for things to get a little smoky.

While the skillet is heating, I gather my other seasonings and ingredients needed:

• black pepper
• paprika
• fresh rosemary sprigs
• butter
• garlic
• lemon

I keep my seasonings simple for multiple reasons. I don’t want to overpower the natural flavor of the steak, especially on more expensive cuts. I also know that I’ll baste the steak in garlic, butter, and rosemary and this will definitely add additional flavor.

After removing from the oven, I immediately place the skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil per steak.

After 1-2 minutes, I cook the steak at about 3 ½ minutes per side, flipping only once. There are many opinions out there about how often a steak should be flipped, but this is my preferred method. I feel that handling the steak as little as possible produces the best sear for me.

Once the first side has cooked for 3 ½ minutes I flip the steak. As the other side begins to cook, I toss in a tablespoon of butter, garlic, and 2 to 3 sprigs worth of rosemary and begin basting the steak as it finishes cooking. Butter burns faster than olive oil, which is why I wait until this point to add it.

A medium rare steak is done at anywhere from 130 to 135 degrees F. A foolproof way of ensuring that your steak is the perfect temperature is to invest in a good instant read meat thermometer. I prefer to remove my steak at about 125-ish degrees F, as the internal temperate will continue to rise a few degrees as it rests.

Finally, I remove the steak from heat and allow it to rest while the residual heat dissipates. At this point, I also hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice for acid and balance. The lemon juice also enhances the flavor of the butter and rosemary baste. I rest my steak for at least 5 minutes.

The end result is a nicely seared, tender, juicy, flavorful medium-rare boneless ribeye.

I’ve been on this “date night” kick lately and I know that it’s because Valentine’s Day is on the horizon. It’s this week! So, no matter the occasion, this steak would go great with:

• My Valentine Charcuterie Spread (as a starter)
• Lemon Rosemary Pound Cake (for dessert)
• Zucchini & Yellow Squash Au Gratin (as a side)

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Peace,

Adri

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