Rosemary-&-Garlic-Basted Sirloin Steak

Steak cooks best if it hits the heat at room temperature. A cold steak coming right from the fridge will cook quickly on the outside while the inside will struggle to get up to the proper temperature. If you want your steak to cook evenly, set it out on the counter 30 minutes before you cook it. Worried about food safety? Don't be. Most perishable foods (including meat) can sit at typical room temperatures for up to 2 hours (or 1 hour if it's over 90 degrees). The smaller the steak, the less time it will need to come up to temperature. Thirty minutes of counter time is all one pound of steak will need before it's ready to cook.

We sear the steak, then baste it with a mixture of butter and herbs as it cooks in the pan. This combines the best features of two distinct cooking methods: dry heat (the sear) and moist heat (the basting). The searing creates a flavorful crust on the outside of the steak, while the basting moistens the surface preventing burning while distributing the flavor of the herbs and pan drippings evenly.

While you may be tempted to dig right into your delicious steak hot off the pan, it's best to wait about 10 minutes before slicing. The juices that make the steak moist and flavorful need some time to redistribute back into the fibers of the meat. Cut into it too soon, and they flow out of the meat and onto the cutting board. If you are worried about the steak cooking off too quickly, you can cover the steak loosely with foil to capture some of the heat while also letting steam escape. We cook the steak to 125 degrees which is considered medium rare. The temperature will continue to rise after it's pulled from the pan by about 5 degrees or so. If you want your steak cooked further, cover the pan to prevent burning and keep it on the heat for an extra 2-4 minutes.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer