How to Make the Best Steak of Your Life
By Ali Slagle
Published June 22, 2026 Updated June 22, 2026
Steaks are a treat, often one with a price tag to match. So when you do put them on the menu, make sure they have everything those commercials promise: the sizzle and sear, the dark brown crust, the fat and brawn. Start with these seven small tweaks, then experiment as you like until your favorite steakhouse is, well, your house.
1. Skip the marinade
Genevieve Ko’s seared bone-in rib-eye steaks.Credit…Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Most marinade ingredients, besides sugar and salt, don’t work their way to the meat’s interior and instead just sit on the surface. When the meat hits a hot skillet, the marinade on the exterior splatters, while any remaining in the bowl ends up down the drain. Is a marinade worth the ingredients, time and extra steps? Not typically. Simply pat your meat dry and cover all sides with salt.
Need some recipes to start? Seared Bone-In Rib-Eye Steaks | Steak Diane | Strip Steak With Dijon Sauce
2. Coat it with lots of black pepper
Alexa Weibel’s steak au poivre for two.Credit…Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
There’s a reason beef and black pepper pair up in many classic dishes (Texas brisket, pastrami, pepper steak, steak au poivre). As the steak cooks, the peppercorns toast, growing darker and more intense, so it can cut through any richness and enhance the meat’s natural essence. When you season your steak with salt, add a few (or more than a few) generous grinds of black pepper. Opt for coarsely ground peppercorns (finely ground will burn more quickly), and massage them into the meat to help them stick.
Need some recipes to start? Steak au Poivre for Two | Pastrami-Spiced Steak With Charred Cabbage | Steak Seasoning | Pepper-Crusted Flank Steak
3. Dot with compound butter
Eleanore Park’s air-fryer steak with garlic-herb butter.Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
If you want to believe in the magic of cooking, swipe plain, softened butter on a just-cooked steak and watch a silky sauce form in real time. But mash seasonings, like garlic, herbs, citrus zest, green curry paste or blue cheese, into the butter and it’ll be so much better, as the butter’s fat and the steak’s heat amplify their flavors. Dot the steak with the compound butter as it rests on a cutting board, so the juices and butter mingle and turn into a low-effort, high-impact sauce. Serve more butter at the table.
Need some recipes to start? Air-Fryer Steak With Garlic-Herb Butter | Spicy Green Curry Steak | Steak Mock Frites | Blue Cheese Steak and Endive Salad for Two
4. Serve with an herb sauce
Kay Chun’s grilled skirt steak with smoky cucumber chimichurri.Credit…Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
A bright, fresh, green herb sauce is everything a steak isn’t. So pair them. Any sauce made with olive oil, soft herbs (such as parsley, cilantro, dill or mint), acid (like lemon or vinegar) and maybe another punch like chiles, capers or scallions would be excellent — whether that’s sauce rof, chimichurri or salsa verde.
Need some recipes to start? Churrasco (Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak) | Grilled Steak With Sauce Rof | Skirt Steak With Salsa Verde Salad | Grilled Skirt Steak With Smoky Cucumber Chimichurri
5. Eat with tomatoes
Christian Reynoso’s grilled steak with tomatoes, basil and Cheddar.Credit…Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
That wheel of tomato on your burger or the pico de gallo on your steak taco isn’t just there for a pop of color. Like herb sauces, tomatoes step in where steak falls short, offering bursts of fresh, sweet juiciness and accentuating steak’s savoriness without any additional richness.
Need some recipes to start? Grilled Steak With Tomatoes, Basil and Cheddar | Harissa Grilled Steak With Juicy Tomatoes | Grilled Steak With Tomato Tartare | Carne Asada
6. Slice thinly and cook over high heat
Zaynab Issa’s spicy cumin beef and green beans.Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Unlike cooking a whole steak, stir-frying thin slices maximizes browning and allows every bite to soak up more sauce. Start by thinly slicing a well-marbled steak — such as sirloin, boneless short rib, New York strip or rib-eye — against the grain. For cleaner cuts, freeze the steak for 15 or so minutes to firm it up before slicing. Then, sear the slices at a very high heat. They will brown in minutes. There’s no need to worry about the internal temperature — the pieces would be too thin to stick a thermometer into, anyway.
Need some recipes to start? Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry | Cumin Beef and Green Bean Stir-Fry | Stir-Fried Beef and Sugar Snap Peas
7. Use a thermometer
Eric Kim’s individual beef Wellingtons.Credit…Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
The easiest way to an excellent steak isn’t something you do, but rather something you don’t: not overcooking it. While there are many ways to tell if a steak is done — cutting into it, pressing its exterior — the soundest guarantee comes from using a meat thermometer. For the most accurate reading, follow Sohla El-Waylly’s advice and, using tongs to hold the steak upright, “insert an instant-read thermometer through the side of the steak into the center.” As it rests, the steak will continue cooking, so aim for 120 to 125 degrees for medium-rare or 130 to 135 degrees for medium before transferring it to a cutting board.
Need some recipes to start? Filet Mignon | Buttery Steak and Potatoes | Grilled Steak | Individual Beef Wellingtons
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