What can I make with steak?
Steak is the ingredient most weeknight dinners get built around, and it rewards a little technique more than a long ingredient list. Below are recipes from our library that use steak, followed by the browning, temperature, and storage notes that make the difference between a good result and a grey one.
12 recipes with steak
Beef and Broccoli
Tender flank steak stir-fried with broccoli in a glossy soy sauce.
Chinese-American25m4Beef Pho
Vietnamese noodle soup with star anise broth and rare beef.
Vietnamese180m6
Matambre a la Pizza
Prepare the Steak: Season the steak with salt and pepper.
Argentina4
Venezuelan Shredded Beef
Season beef with salt, pepper and minced garlic Chop 1 onion in 4 big wedges Place in the beef pressure cooker with the 4 wedges of onion and the stock Pressure cook for 20 minutes Release the pressure and open the lid Remove the beef and SAVE 2 cups of stock in another cont
Venezuela4
Steak Diane
Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.
France4
Breaded Steak Recipe (Lomo de Res Apanado)
Place each piece of steak in between two large pieces of plastic and using a mallet, pound it until it is about ¼″ to ½″ thick.
4
Smash Burger
Thin, ultra-crispy burger smashed on a hot griddle.
American10m4Smashed Cheeseburger
Thin, crispy-edged beef patties with American cheese on a toasted bun.
American20m4
Ground Beef Tacos
Classic American-style hard shell beef tacos.
Mexican20m4
Loaded Nachos
Tortilla chips baked with cheese, beans, and every topping.
Tex-Mex20m4Sloppy Joes
Sweet-tangy saucy ground beef piled on soft buns.
American25m6
Pad See Ew
Wide rice noodles stir-fried with dark soy, egg, and Chinese broccoli.
Thai25m3
How to cook steak so it stays tender
- 1Pat the steak dry and salt it 15-40 minutes ahead. Dry surface means browning instead of steaming.
- 2Preheat the pan until a drop of water skitters, then add a thin film of oil. Crowding the pan is the number one reason steak turns grey.
- 3Brown in a single layer without moving it for 2-3 minutes per side, then build the sauce in the same pan so the browned bits dissolve into it.
- 4Cook to temperature, not time: 160F for ground meat, 130-135F for a medium-rare cut, then rest 5 minutes before slicing.
What goes well with steak
Steak is at its best with onion, garlic, tomato, potato, paprika and red wine. Any two or three of those, plus steak, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing steak
Keep raw steak on the bottom shelf of the fridge and use it within 1-2 days, or freeze it flat in a bag for up to three months. Cooked leftovers keep 3-4 days and reheat best with a splash of stock in a covered pan rather than in the microwave.
Substituting steak
If you are out of steak, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Steak recipes: common questions
- What can I make with steak and not much else?
- Plenty. With steak plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest steak recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute steak?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover steak?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover steak without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- What temperature should steak be cooked to?
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than timing: 165F for poultry, 160F for ground meat, 145F for whole cuts and fish, all measured at the thickest point away from bone. Rest larger cuts for five minutes before cutting.