Seared Steak with Garlic Thyme Butter and Green Beans
- Savory
- French
- Stovetop
- Oven
A Valentine's pan-seared steak basted in garlic thyme butter, served with golden potatoes and tender green beans. Rich, savory, and not spicy.
- Total
- 50 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 30 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Searing · Basting
Instructions
-
Cut the potatoes into 3 cm chunks and place them in the medium pot with 1 tsp salt and enough water to cover by 3 cm. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife slides in easily, about 15 minutes. Drain in the colander.
~15 min
Starting potatoes in cold water lets them cook evenly from the outside in, so the centers turn tender without the outsides falling apart.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the potatoes boil, pat the steak dry with paper towel and season both sides with 0.5 tsp salt and the black pepper. Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic. Trim the green beans.
~10 min
A dry surface is essential for a good sear, because moisture must evaporate before the steak can brown.
-
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the large frying pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add the steak and sear undisturbed for 3 minutes, then flip and sear 3 minutes more, until well browned.
~6 min
High heat and leaving the steak undisturbed create a deep brown crust through the Maillard reaction, which builds savory flavor.
Searing Get the pan very hot and leave the steak undisturbed until it releases easily and forms a deep brown crust; moving it too soon prevents browning.
-
Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter, garlic, shallots and 2 thyme sprigs to the pan. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steak for 2 minutes, until the garlic smells fragrant and the steak reaches 54°C for medium-rare. Transfer the steak to a board and rest for 5 minutes.
~7 min
Basting with foaming butter gently cooks the steak's surface and carries garlic and thyme flavor into the crust; resting lets juices redistribute so they don't run out when sliced.
Let the steak rest before slicing so the juices stay on the board, not on the plate.
Basting Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steak repeatedly; keep the heat at medium so the butter and garlic don't burn.
-
While step 4 rests
While the steak rests, add the green beans and remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan over medium heat. Cook, tossing, until the beans are bright and just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt and the remaining thyme leaves.
~5 min
Cooking the beans in the steak pan picks up the browned butter and garlic left behind, and cooking them just until bright keeps them crisp-tender.
-
Slice the steak against the grain and divide it between two plates with the potatoes and green beans. Spoon the garlic butter from the pan over the top.
~3 min
Slicing against the grain shortens the muscle fibers, making each bite more tender.
