Video summary

Gordon Ramsay's ULTIMATE COOKERY COURSE: How to Cook the Perfect Steak

Main summary

Key takeaways

Cooking

Presenter/Channel

  • Gordon Ramsay (from Gordon Ramsay’s ULTIMATE COOKERY COURSE: How to Cook the Perfect Steak)

Ingredients (with quantities/substitutions mentioned)

  • Steaks (type not specified; referenced sirloin)
  • Salt (season first)
  • Black pepper: “nice large grains of pepper”
  • Olive oil (added to the pan before garlic to help avoid burning)
  • Garlic: “put a little bit”… doesn’t need to be peeled; lightly crush
  • Thyme: “a little bit of thyme” / “fragrant thyme”
  • Butter: “little knobs of butter” (for basting)
  • (To taste / qualitative in subtitles): “touch more” for thyme/seasoning intensity

Equipment & Prep

  • Hot pan (hot enough to sear; it should begin smoking)
  • Stovetop / gas
  • Tongs (for careful flipping)
  • Pan manipulation: tilt the pan
  • Optional/implied: crushing garlic lightly

Key prep timing

  • Take steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to prevent stone-cold centers.

Step-by-Step Method (technique cues + timing/temps)

  1. Preheat pan

    • Heat until it’s hot and starts smoking.

  2. Season the steak

    • Season first with salt and large-grain black pepper.

  3. Sear immediately (don’t boil)

    • “Make sure you literally sear… and not boil it.”
    • Add steaks away from you; “let the pan do the work.”
    • Listen for the correct sound: “nice noise you want to hear in the pan every time.”

  4. Flip carefully

    • Use tongs; flip “very carefully.”
    • Timing cue: “literally 30 seconds of the pan” before turning.

  5. Render fat

    • For sirloin: render the layer of fat on the back of the sirloin.

  6. Baste using pan fat

    • Tilt the pan so the hot fat/juices run down the back and help sear.
    • Add lightly crushed, unpeeled garlic and thyme.
    • “Baste the steaks” with the garlic/thyme fat mixture.
    • “Turning every minute” to promote even cooking and color.

  7. Finish with butter

    • Add little knobs of butter once the initial sear/flavoring is underway.
    • “Tilt the pan then just baste the steaks.”
    • Ensure: “nothing’s burning” (one reason for starting with olive oil).

  8. Remove and rest

    • “Get it out… beautiful let them rest.”

  9. Slice and serve

    • Slice starting from rare and move through to medium-rare (“slice rare going on to medium rare”).

Doneness Cues (qualitative)

Ramsay uses wrist/palm comparison rather than exact temperatures:

  • Rare: “at the opposite the palm at the top”
  • Medium: “medium is there”
  • Well done: “at the top of your wrist”

Tips + Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Avoid stone-cold steak: if the center is “stone cold,” the exterior will overcook.
  • Don’t boil: the goal is searing only (“not boil it”).
  • Flip regularly for even cooking: “turning… every minute” for even color.
  • Use olive oil to prevent burning (especially when basting with garlic/thyme).
  • Tilt the pan to use hot fat for better searing.

Variations Mentioned

  • Preferred doneness: Ramsay likes steaks rare, then slices through rare → medium-rare.

Source/Reference

  • Subtitles from: Gordon Ramsay’s ULTIMATE COOKERY COURSE: How to Cook the Perfect Steak

Original video