Any night can be steak night—not just for dining out or special occasions. We know it can seem fancy and intimidating to make one at home, but we promise it doesn't have to be! Chrissy's new steak recipe uses a technique called butter-basting, which is coating the steak in melted butter (that browns into toasty, nutty goodness) infused with garlic and rosemary to help evenly caramelize the surface. That ensures a perfectly cooked steak (medium-rare, always) with a beautifully edge-to-edge golden crust.
The key is to make sure your pan is super hot (try using our nonstick cast iron enamel skillet), season liberally with salt and pepper, and continuously baste that steak with galricky butter! Chrissy actually made this recipe with TikTok user @michkapcooks (check out the video here) so we have a step-by-step guide to brown butter–basting steak below. Once you try it on steak, you can also use this method for bone-in pork or lamb chops to make every cut of meat tastes luxurious and restaurant-quality.
How to Brown Butter–Baste Steak
1. Heat a large (10- or 12-inch) heavy cast iron skillet over high heat until VERY hot but not smoking. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to the skillet, and carefully tilt the skillet to evenly coat the surface in oil. Add the steak to the skillet and cook, not moving, until a crust forms underneath, 3–4 minutes.
2. Flip the steak—we recommend using tongs or a spatula, unlike daredevil Michelle—then add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 4 large peeled garlic cloves to one side of the skillet; the butter should melt pretty much immediately
3. You can now butter-baste the steak using an oven mitt to tilt the pan and a large spoon (a large metal soup spoon with a long handle is great) to scoop up some of the butter-oil mixture and spoon it over the steak a few times before flipping.
4. Flip the steak and continue to baste and flip until it is medium-rare (when it registers 130°F on an instant-read thermometer), a deep, golden crust has formed on both sides and the garlic is a deep brown, 7–9 minutes. (Remove the garlic before the steak if it is golden brown, not letting it burn.) Add the rosemary in the last 1–2 minutes of cooking, if using.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the steak to a rimmed baking sheet or cutting board (ideally with a channel for juice) to rest for 5 minutes.
6. Slice the steak against the grain, transfer to a serving platter, add the garlic and crispy rosemary sprig to the platter, and drizzle with the pan juices.
