Thick-cut cast-iron seared ribeye steak sliced rare with herb garlic foaming butter on a wooden carving board

Entree2 portions

SteakCast IronHigh ProteinKetoDinner

Cast-Iron Seared Ribeye with Herb Butter

Name: Cast-Iron Seared Ribeye with Herb Butter
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 650 g Thick-Cut Prime Bone-In Ribeye Steak (1.5-inch thick) (Heavily marbled, dry-brined uncovered in fridge for 12-24 hours); 8 g Coarse Kosher Flaky Sea Salt (Evenly distributed across all surfaces and fat cap); 4 g Coarsely Cracked Black Pepper (Coarse butcher grind); 25 ml Avocado Oil (High smoke point 270°C) (For coating the pan before searing); 60 g Unsalted European Butter (82% butterfat) (Cold cubed butter for basting); 4 piece Fresh Garlic Cloves (Crushed lightly with flat of chef knife, skin on); 3 piece Fresh Rosemary Sprigs (Whole sprigs bruised to release essential oils); 4 piece Fresh Thyme Sprigs (Fresh garden thyme)

A masterclass in high-heat searing and pan basting (arrosé). Thick-cut USDA Prime ribeye dry-brined for 24 hours, seared in smoking cast iron, and basted with foaming European butter, crushed garlic, and fresh rosemary.

Prep: 15m

Cook: 20m

Total: 35m

Yield: 2 portions

Curated by Chef Marcus Kane

Servings

Units

Kitchen Time Orchestration

Prep & Cook Timeline Scheduler

Choose what time you want to sit down and eat. Mise works backwards to calculate an actionable milestone schedule with zero guesswork.

Target Serving Time:

Total Cooking Window: 35 minutes

Start prep at 6:55 PM to plate at 7:30 PM

6:55 PMT-35m

Step 1

Mise en Place & Active Prep

Measure all 8 ingredients and prep aromatics, proteins, and cookware.

7:10 PMT-20m

Step 2

Begin Active Cooking / Searing

Render Fat Cap & Hard Sear Side One

7:18 PMT-12m

Step 4

Arrosé (Butter Pan Basting)

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 60g cold European butter, 4 crushed garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary and thyme...

7:27 PMT-3m

Resting & Final Seasoning

Remove from active heat, allow juices/emulsion to stabilize, and adjust sea salt and fresh herbs.

7:30 PMServing Time

Plate & Serve Hot

Dish up into pre-warmed bowls or platters. Yields 2 portions.

Backwards timeline calculates thermal ramp times and step durations to guarantee food is hot and properly rested when guests sit down.

Food Science & Culinary Physics

Culinary Science & Ratio Breakdown

Understand the thermal limits, hydration ratios, and seasoning equations governing this dish.

Salt-to-Weight Seasoning Metric

68g salt / 897g batch

7.6%High Salinity / Brine or Cured Matrix

0.0% (Unsalted)1.5% - 2.0% Sweet Spot3.0%+ (Cured)

Surface Desiccation Target

< 5% Surface Humidity

Dry exterior surface allows immediate Maillard crust formation without steam-cooking the meat.

Critical Thermal Milestones

52°C (125°F)

Pull from Heat (Medium-Rare target)

55°C (130°F)

Final Rested Temperature via carryover heat

260°C (500°F)

Smoking Skillet Initial Maillard Sear

Method & Preparation (6 Steps)

Follow each step sequentially. Timed steps feature interactive hardware alarms and voice navigation.

Hands-free voice ready

1
Temper & Pre-Heat Cast Iron
Take the dry-brined steak out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking to bring interior temperature to ~15°C (60°F). Place a heavy 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet on high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until wisps of blue smoke appear. Swirl in 25ml avocado oil until the surface shimmers with convection ripples.
Equipment:12-inch Cast Iron SkilletSplatter Guard
Step TimerTemper & Pre-Heat Cast Iron
8 min target
08:00
Paused
2
Render Fat Cap & Hard Sear Side One
Using heavy stainless tongs, grip the ribeye and press its thick fat cap against the bottom of the smoking skillet for 90 seconds to render rendered beef tallow. Lay the steak down flat away from you. Sear undisturbed on high heat for 2.5 minutes until a deeply browned, savory Maillard crust develops.
Equipment:Heavy Stainless Steel Tongs
Step TimerRender Fat Cap & Hard Sear Side One
3 min target
03:00
Paused
3
Flip & Sear Side Two
Flip the steak onto the reverse side. Sear undisturbed for another 2 minutes. The cast-iron heat should create an identical golden-mahogany crust on the second side without burning.
Equipment:Heavy Stainless Steel Tongs
Step TimerFlip & Sear Side Two
2 min target
02:00
Paused
4
Arrosé (Butter Pan Basting)
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 60g cold European butter, 4 crushed garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs to the side of the skillet. Tilt the skillet at a 30-degree angle so the foaming melted butter pools with the aromatics. Use a large metal spoon to continuously scoop the hot foaming herb butter over the steak for 2 to 3 minutes until internal temperature hits 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare.
Equipment:Large Basting SpoonDigital Instant-Read Thermometer
Step TimerArrosé (Butter Pan Basting)
3 min target
03:00
Paused
5
Rest on Carving Board
Transfer steak immediately onto a warm wooden carving board. Pour remaining pan herb butter and garlic over the top. Rest undisturbed for 8 minutes to allow muscle fibers to relax and moisture to redistribute throughout the steak.
Equipment:Wooden Carving Board with Juice Groove
Step TimerRest on Carving Board
8 min target
08:00
Paused
6
Carve & Flake Salt
Slice the ribeye against the grain into 1/2-inch thick ribbons. Sprinkle generously with Maldon flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Serve with the fragrant board juices.
Equipment:Chef's Carving Knife

Ingredients (2 portions)

650 g Thick-Cut Prime Bone-In Ribeye Steak (1.5-inch thick) — Heavily marbled, dry-brined uncovered in fridge for 12-24 hours

8 g Coarse Kosher Flaky Sea Salt — Evenly distributed across all surfaces and fat cap

4 g Coarsely Cracked Black Pepper — Coarse butcher grind

25 ml Avocado Oil (High smoke point 270°C) — For coating the pan before searing

60 g Unsalted European Butter (82% butterfat) — Cold cubed butter for basting

4 piece Fresh Garlic Cloves — Crushed lightly with flat of chef knife, skin on

3 piece Fresh Rosemary Sprigs — Whole sprigs bruised to release essential oils

4 piece Fresh Thyme Sprigs — Fresh garden thyme

Method & Preparation

Step 1: Temper & Pre-Heat Cast Iron (8 min)

Take the dry-brined steak out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking to bring interior temperature to ~15°C (60°F). Place a heavy 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet on high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until wisps of blue smoke appear. Swirl in 25ml avocado oil until the surface shimmers with convection ripples.

Step 2: Render Fat Cap & Hard Sear Side One (3 min)

Using heavy stainless tongs, grip the ribeye and press its thick fat cap against the bottom of the smoking skillet for 90 seconds to render rendered beef tallow. Lay the steak down flat away from you. Sear undisturbed on high heat for 2.5 minutes until a deeply browned, savory Maillard crust develops.

Step 3: Flip & Sear Side Two (2 min)

Flip the steak onto the reverse side. Sear undisturbed for another 2 minutes. The cast-iron heat should create an identical golden-mahogany crust on the second side without burning.

Step 4: Arrosé (Butter Pan Basting) (3 min)

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 60g cold European butter, 4 crushed garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs to the side of the skillet. Tilt the skillet at a 30-degree angle so the foaming melted butter pools with the aromatics. Use a large metal spoon to continuously scoop the hot foaming herb butter over the steak for 2 to 3 minutes until internal temperature hits 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare.

Step 5: Rest on Carving Board (8 min)

Transfer steak immediately onto a warm wooden carving board. Pour remaining pan herb butter and garlic over the top. Rest undisturbed for 8 minutes to allow muscle fibers to relax and moisture to redistribute throughout the steak.

Step 6: Carve & Flake Salt

Slice the ribeye against the grain into 1/2-inch thick ribbons. Sprinkle generously with Maldon flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Serve with the fragrant board juices.