How to Pan-Fry a Steak

 This is cut-and-pasted from a Quora response by chef Martin Bayer:

Cooking a steak is no small deal. Steaks are pricey and personal, everyone wants there's done the way they want it to be done, no exceptions. This is especially true when it comes to seasoning.

The method I’m going to share with you is the way I like steaks to be done, it’s not carved in stone behind a fancy French restaurant or anything. If you like what you read, give it a whirl. If not, try someone else’s method, or invent your own.

Ribeye’s are my steak. I can ramble off a number of others that I enjoy but most of the time I’m eating a tender, juicy, meaty ribeye. Its richness can stand up to a wide range of seasoning, from a basic salt and pepper, to a spicy Southwestern, Cajun blackening spice or whatever’s your poison. My basic steak seasoning is salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, oregano and smoked paprika. That combo is the tits on a nicely seared ribeye. What you want to know though is how to get it to the steak, right? Well, here we go.

First, season your ribeye well on both sides with coarse salt and let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. Known as dry brining, the salt will pull moisture to the surface of the steak, dissolve in that moisture and the steak will drink it back up, seasoning the meat. Get a heavy skillet rip roaring hot, add a touch of oil and then pat the steak dry with paper towels. Lower the steak into the hot pan and sear the hell out of it, until it is crispy golden brown. Oh, make sure you have your pre-mixed seasoning blend handy, because it’s about to come into play.

Flip the steak and sprinkle the seasoning onto the seared side so it blooms in the hot bubbling oil on top of the steak. Then cook it to your desired doneness. The exception to this would be a blackened steak, where you want the seasoning to make contact with the hot pan, so the seasonings become seared with the steak. My method prevents the spices from burning and becoming bitter from contact with the hot pan, which will happen with onion, garlic and paprika.

 This is an article, "How to Pan-Fry Steak," by Mikinze Gore and Lauren Miyashiro, at Delish.com:

If you think you need a grill to cook the perfect steak, think again. Cooking a beautiful steak dinner on your stovetop is not only easy to do, but delivers ridiculously delicious results. We get it—it can be daunting if you've never attempted it before. But, with our top tips and step-by-step guide, you’ll be well on your way to serving a steakhouse-worthy mainto impress at your Valentine’s Day dinner or fancy dinner party. Here's everything you need to know:

How to cook perfect steak on the stovetop:
— Use a THICK cut of steak. You want something at least 1 inch—1 ½ is even better! The Delish test kitchen prefers boneless ribeye steak because of all the marbled fat, but New York strip steak is another great option. If you want to do something thinner like a flank or skirt steak, you’ll need to reduce the amount of time per side to avoid overcooking. Depending on thickness, it could be as quick as 2 or 3 minutes per side!
— Take them out from the fridge ahead of time and dry them off. I know it sounds weird, but for a really good crust sear, you want your steak's surface dry as hell: surface moisture is the enemy of crunch! Just pat the steaks with paper towels before you add them to the pan and you are good to go.
— Let it rest before. Season the steak with salt let it rest (uncovered) in the fridge for around 45 minutes before cooking. It’s the best way to draw out even more moisture from the raw steak, and as an added bonus, the interior meat will be much more flavorful. 
— Get the pan hot. Only when the oil is shimmering and just about to smoke are you allowed to add the steak. Putting the steak in the pan before it's screaming hot will lead to overcooking and, you guessed it, a tough steak.
— Let it rest. You’ve heard it a thousand times before, but it is always worth repeating. Before you cut into that beautiful hunk of meat, let it hang out for at least 10 minutes. You don’t want to lose all of those amazing juices!

How long do I cook pan-fry steak?
This all depends on the cut of your steak, and your desired temp. For thicker cuts—like the ribeye used here—our steak was done after 7 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other. But, the best way to tell when your steak is done is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Here's our temperature guide. 
— Medium-rare. 130°-135°
— Medium. 135°-145°,
— Medium-well. 145-155° 

Serving ideas for steak:
This steak goes perfectly with any of our favorite side dishes for steak, including garlic-Parmesan roasted carrots, melting potatoes, and a classic garlic-herb wedge salad. Looking to really up your steak game? Tuscan butter, red wine butter, or cowboy butter would all be welcome additions here. 

Have you made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!

Yields:

1 serving(s)

Prep Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp.

  canola oil

• Boneless ribeye steak, preferably 1 1/2"-thick

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp.

  butter

Directions

• 1. Step 1Salt steak and rest for 45 minutes.
  2. Step 2In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Season steak with pepper on both sides. When oil is just about to smoke, add steak. Cook 7 minutes, then flip and add butter. Baste with butter and cook another 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140°, for medium.
  3. Step 3Remove from pan and let rest 5 minutes before cutting.