How to Cook Chuck Eye Steak in a Pan

To cook chuck steak in a pan, start with a chuck eye steak about 1 inch thick. Salt it at least 45 minutes ahead, pat it dry, and sear it in a very hot cast-iron skillet for about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 on the second. Add butter, garlic and thyme and baste for a minute or two, until the center reads 125 to 135 degrees F. Rest it for 5 minutes and slice it thin across the grain.

Chuck eye is the chuck steak that cooks like a ribeye. It is cut from the end of the chuck next to the rib, so it has much of a ribeye's rich flavor with a little more chew. A pan suits it well: a hot skillet builds a deep crust quickly, and the butter baste finishes it gently.

At a glance: serves 2 to 4. Prep 10 minutes, salt at least 45 minutes ahead, cook about 12 minutes, rest 5 minutes.

Gray Shipley, who runs the farm, gives the same advice for the pan and the grill:

“Let it dry before you put it on the skillet or put it on the grill so that you get the sear on the outside. You keep that moisture and juiciness on the inside.”

Gray Shipley

In a pan, this is the step that matters most. A wet steak steams before it browns, and by the time the water has cooked off and a crust has formed, the middle has gone past where you wanted it. Salting early lets the surface dry in the fridge, and a last pat with paper towels does the rest, so the crust forms fast and the inside stays juicy.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chuck eye steaks, about 1 inch thick (3/4 to 7/8 pound each)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 sprig rosemary

Instructions

1. At least 45 minutes and up to 24 hours before cooking, season the steaks all over with the salt. Set them on a rack over a plate and refrigerate them, uncovered.
2. Take the steaks out, pat them very dry with paper towels, and season them with the pepper.
3. Heat a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the oil and heat it until it shimmers and gives off the first wisp of smoke.
4. Lay the steaks in the pan, setting them down away from you so any spatter goes the other way. Cook without moving them for about 3 minutes, until a deep brown crust has formed and they release easily. Turn them and cook for 2 minutes more.
5. Lower the heat to medium and add the butter, garlic and thyme. When the butter foams, tilt the pan toward you and spoon the butter over the steaks again and again for 1 to 2 minutes, until a thermometer in the center reads 125 to 130 degrees F for medium rare or 135 degrees F for medium. USDA FSIS sets 145 degrees F with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for beef steaks.
6. Move the steaks to a board or rack and rest them for 5 minutes. Spoon a little of the garlic butter from the pan over them.
7. Find the grain, which can change direction across a chuck eye, and slice the steaks about 1/4 inch thick across it.

Add 2 chuck eye steaks to cart

How to cook chuck eye steak in cast iron

Cast iron holds a lot of heat, so the pan stays hot when the cold steaks go in, and that is what builds a crust in 3 minutes. A heavy stainless skillet also works; a nonstick pan should not be heated this hot. Use a pan just big enough to hold both steaks with a little room around them, and if they are crowded, cook them one at a time. Turn on the fan before you start. How to Cook Steak in a Cast-Iron Skillet has more on cooking steak this way.

The best way to cook chuck steak depends on the steak

The best way to cook chuck steak depends on which part of the shoulder it came from. Chuck eye, cut next to the rib, is tender enough to cook fast in a pan or on a grill. Most other chuck steaks, such as seven-bone, blade and arm steaks, carry much more connective tissue. Seared like this they stay tough, and they are better browned and then braised slowly until tender. Chuck Eye vs Ribeye: Is It Really the Poor Man's Ribeye? compares chuck eye with its famous neighbor.

How to make chuck eye steak tender

Three things make the difference. First, do not cook it past medium: chuck eye has more connective tissue than a ribeye, and once it goes much past 140 degrees F it tightens and turns dry. Second, rest it for 5 minutes so the juices settle before you cut. Third, slice it thin and across the grain, so every bite has short fibers. The grain on a chuck eye can run in more than one direction, so look before you cut and turn the steak as you go. Salting ahead helps as well, because it seasons the meat deeper than salt added at the last minute. If your steak still comes out chewy, Why Is My Steak Tough? walks through the usual causes.

More recipes for boneless beef chuck eye steak

Once you can cook a chuck eye in a pan, it goes a long way. Slice it thin over rice with a spoonful of the pan butter and a fried egg. Tuck slices into warm tortillas with onion, cilantro and lime. Lay it over bitter greens with a sharp vinaigrette, or pile it onto toasted bread with horseradish and arugula for a steak sandwich.

Food safety

USDA FSIS lists 145 degrees F, followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes, as the safe minimum internal temperature for beef steaks. Chuck eye cooked to medium rare or medium, 130 to 140 degrees F after resting, is below that figure, and the choice is yours. Check it with an instant-read thermometer pushed into the center from the side. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. See the FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.