Summary

In this video, Robin Shea from Carnivore School of Results demonstrates how to prepare a delicious, oven-broiled ribeye steak using a cast iron skillet. Robin shares her experience of learning this simple yet effective cooking method and walks viewers through essential steps, tools, and tips to achieve a perfectly cooked ribeye with a beautifully charred crust and tender interior. The process involves preheating a cast iron pan in the oven, coating the steaks with tallow to enhance cooking and seasoning adherence, careful seasoning with salt and pepper, and precise timing for cooking based on steak thickness and preferred doneness. Robin also emphasizes practical advice on tool selection, oven cleanliness, and seasoning preferences, making it an approachable recipe for even novice cooks. The video concludes with Robin enjoying the steak with melted butter and finishing salt, while sharing her recommended cast iron cleaning technique to preserve the pan’s longevity without using detergents.

Highlights

• 🔥 Simple and quick method for cooking ribeye steak in a cast iron skillet inside an oven.
• 🥩 Importance of preheating the cast iron pan in the oven for perfect heat retention.
• 🧈 Using tallow or ghee over butter for high-heat cooking to avoid burning milk solids.
• ⏲️ Short, precise cook times (around 2.5 to 3+ minutes per side) for ideal medium-rare doneness.
• 🍽️ Use of sizzling platters with sizzle guards to reduce oven splatter and enhance presentation.
• 🧴 Avoiding detergents for cast iron cleaning; using specialized cast iron scrubbers instead.
• 🧂 Finishing touches with compound butters and finishing salts to elevate the steak experience.

Key Insights

🔥 Preheating Cast Iron Skillet is Crucial: The video stresses how important it is to have the cast iron skillet preheated in the oven at a high temperature (450–500°F), which ensures even heat distribution and optimal searing. This technique significantly improves the steak’s crust and overall texture.

🥩 Tallow vs Butter for Cooking Fat: Butter contains milk solids that burn at high temperatures, making it less ideal for searing. Tallow or ghee, due to their high smoke points and lack of milk solids, are better fats for starting the cooking process to achieve clean, consistent searing without smoke or burning.

⏳ Precision in Cook Time for Doneness: Medium-rare steaks should be cooked quickly at high heat — 2.5 to 3 minutes per side depending on thickness. The fast cooking retains juiciness and avoids overcooking, emphasizing the need for being attentive and ready to flip the steaks promptly.

🧂 Seasoning Technique Using Fat: Coating the steaks with tallow before seasoning helps salt and pepper to adhere better, enhancing flavor penetration. This method also helps form a better crust by promoting Maillard reactions during cooking.

🍳 Avoiding Overcrowding in the Pan: Placing only one steak per cast iron skillet avoids temperature drops and ensures proper heat exposure. Overcrowding leads to steaming rather than searing, which diminishes the crust and flavor development.

🧼 Cast Iron Care Without Detergents: The video highlights the importance of maintaining cast iron with non-soap scrubbers to preserve its seasoning. Avoiding detergent and aerosol sprays prevents damage to the pan’s natural non-stick surface and prolongs its usability.

🍽️ Presentation Matters: Using sizzling platters with a guard reduces oven mess and enhances the final dining experience by allowing steaks to be served sizzling hot—this adds sensory appeal and convenience during serving.

This content is highly valuable for anyone looking to master steak cooking in a home kitchen using simple tools and professional tips, combining culinary science with practical home cooking advice.