What is the Best Way to Sear & Bake a Ribeye Steak?

Considered one of the tastiest cuts of beef, ribeye steaks are tender, juicy and expensive. Fat is found mostly around the ribs of a cow, which explains the marbling in ribeye steaks. The fat provides flavor to the meat and helps to keep it moist. Cook ribeyes by both searing and baking them in the oven for a delicious preparation.

Take a look at the USDA grade of your steak. The grading scale rates the fat content of the meat, and the rating can be one of three grades -- prime, choice or select. Prime means the ribeye has a lot of fat, which is a good thing because more fat means more juice and flavor. Choice ribeyes come with just enough fat to keep the meat tender and juicy. Select ribeyes contain the least amount of fat, which is great if you're trying to watch your fat intake but may not be the best cut in terms of quality.

Prior to cooking, remove the ribeye steaks from the fridge or freezer and place them on a plate on top of the counter. Allow plenty of time so that the steaks reach room temperature. Grab a large, heavy-duty cast iron skillet and place it in the oven. Turn the oven on to 500 degrees F. Once the oven reaches the set temperature, grab the skillet with a pot holder and place it on the stovetop over high heat. Season both sides of the steaks with freshly ground pepper and other seasonings, then place the meat in the center of the hot skillet. Let it cook for 30 seconds, then flip the steaks to cook on the other side for 30 seconds

Once the steaks have been seared, place the skillet back into the 500-degree oven. For a medium-rare steak, let the steaks cook for two minutes on each side. For a medium or more done steak, add one minute to the cooking time for each side. Remove the steak from the oven and place the skillet on the stovetop.

Place the steaks on a plate and cover loosely with tin foil. Let them sit for two minutes. Even though the steaks are out of the oven, they will continue to cook, making them too hot to serve right away. After a couple of minutes, remove the tin foil and serve the steaks as is or sliced.