• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers & Dips
    • Bakery Recipes
    • Bars & Brownie Recipes
    • Bread Recipes
    • Brunch & Breakfast Recipes
    • Cakes, Cupcakes & Cheesecakes
    • Cheese Recipes
    • Chocolate Recipes
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • Cookies & Crackers
    • Desserts
    • Fruit Recipes
    • Grains & Legumes
    • Muffins and Quick Breads
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Pies & Tarts
    • Readers' Favorite Recipes
  • Collections
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Heritage Recipes
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Fall
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
    • Vintage Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • St. Patrick's Day
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
  • Basic recipes
  • About this blog
    • The author
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility statement

Vintage Kitchen Notes logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe index
  • Heritage Recipes
  • Holiday Recipes
  • Seasonal Recipes
  • Vintage Recipes
  • About this blog
  • Contact us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Published: Jul 28, 2019 · Updated: Nov 13, 2020 by Paula Montenegro
    Income from ads and affiliate links126 Comments

    The best Rosemary Garlic Steak

    21687 shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Collage images of Rosemary Garlic steak
    Rosemary Garlic Steak pin with text
    Rosemary Garlic Steak pin with text
    Collage images of Rosemary Garlic steak

    This is one of my star dishes,  rosemary garlic butter steak, one I’ve been making forever, and that just never fails. It uses few ingredients and can be ready in 20-25 minutes. Just follow the tips below and become a master steak cook.

    Table of Contents show
    About steak
    Few ingredients
    Why Rosemary and garlic?
    What type of meat should you use?
    Sirloin strip steak:
    Rib-eye steak:
    How to cook it
    First step
    Turn over
    Add liquid to deglaze
    Resting time
    My tips for cooking the best steak:
    Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak
    Ingredients
    Nutrition
    Cut pieces of juicy Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak on wooden board

    Originally posted in 2012, the text and images in this post have been updated to serve you better. The recipe remains the same, of course!

    About steak

    Now, I live in Argentina, where meat is officially our national food (looking for an authentic chimichurri sauce anyone?). It is a serious business.

    Barbecue has become the number one choice here, our favorite thing.

    And while our grilling would be considered plain for most of you - no marinades, rubs or additions of any kind while being grilled, except for salt and pepper - the fat in the meat does the flavor trick, and making a great piece of barbecue meat is no beginner's luck, no matter how many condiments you pile afterward.

    The meat here is very fresh, no fourteen or twenty-one days waiting for it to age. Why wait? Slap that piece of red on the grill or skillet and eat it! Make mine medium rare, please.

    Close up of slices of juicy steak on wooden board, rosemary sprigs

    That said, I change it up a bit when I'm grilling meat indoors. So today's recipe comes with add-ons.

    Few ingredients

    • Steak: of course this is the star so buy the best you can afford, always.
    • Rosemary: fresh is better, but in a hurry dried will certainly do.
    • Garlic: fresh is the way because it can be chopped with the herb and salt.
    • Butter: it gives the meat a great flavor, but oil can also be used.
    • White wine: it's used to lift the bits that stick to the pan when the meat is cooked. It adds a great flavor, but use water if you want to, by all means.
    Wooden board with raw meat, rosemary sprigs, and garlic clove; text with overlay

    Why Rosemary and garlic?

    Rubbing garlic, rosemary and salt (image below) has been my easy way of adding extra flavor to steak without a lot of work.  Or time.

    It adds SO MUCH to the end product, it's one of those simple secrets that you'll be forever grateful for.

    I discovered it almost by accident and it's become a staple. It takes just a few minutes to prepare and the results are extraordinary!

    Chopped rosemary and coarse salt on light wooden board

    What type of meat should you use?

    I have two cuts I swear by when making this garlic butter steak:

    Sirloin strip steak: 

    Lean but flavorful and perfect for grilling indoors or out.

    This is what I'm using today, and I stripped away most of the outside fat since I was making it in a skillet. When using the outdoor barbecue, I like to leave the layer of fat (see the second image here) so it chars slowly and adds even more flavor to the meat.

    I don't know where you live, but here you can buy the whole piece of sirloin, a 5-6 kg (11-13 pounds) piece of meat that you throw directly on the barbecue and let it cook for a few hours. So amazing.

    Rib-eye steak: 

    My favorite cut of meat when barbecuing outside.

    It has two types of meat, lean and tender on one side, flavorful and chewier on the other.
    This steak cut is amazing for marinating before cooking. It is a crowd-pleasing type of meat, at least in my experience.

    I don't know where you live, but here you can buy the whole piece of sirloin, a 5-6 kg (11-13 pounds) piece of meat that you throw directly on the barbecue and let it cook for a few hours. So amazing.

    How to cook it

    They are few and simple, but make sure you use the right amount of heat so the steak doesn't burn. And read the tips below before.

    First step

    Rub the room temperature steak with the rosemary, garlic and salt mixture. Melt the butter on a skillet. Do so on a medium/high heat and add the steak when it foams.

    Raw seasoned rump steak in foamy butter on dark skillet

    Turn over

    The steak must be turned over half way to cook evenly. This will depend on how thick it is, so it might take a few more or less minutes. See below how the bottom half is still red as opposed to the upper half.

    Half cooked steak with butter in dark skillet

    Add liquid to deglaze

    A splash of wine or water is added at the end to lift up the bits that are stuck to the bottom (deglazing). You can skip it, but it will add a small amount of 'sauce' for the steak.

    A skillet with a cooked steak, liquid and smoke coming up

    Resting time

    Take the steak from the pan and let rest for 4-5 minutes before cutting. This allows the juices that have gone to the edges during cooking to rearrange themselves, so that when you cut you will have a consistently juicy piece of meat. Otherwise, the liquid drips from the meat and onto the plate the moment you cut it. For me, this is a crucial step.

    Seared piece of rump steak resting on wooden plate

    You just have to try this amazing steak. Let it be known that you can make amazing Steak and Chimichurri Sliders with this recipe also.

    Just sliced steak with pink interior on a light wooden board, rosemary sprigs
    Cut steak after resting

    My tips for cooking the best steak:

    1. Temperature: always have the meat at room temperature. That way it’ll be more tender. If it’s frozen, defrost it overnight in the fridge. The less change in temperature while defrosting, the better.
    2. Salting: add salt right before it goes into the skillet. If you want to infuse some garlic and rosemary, rub them on the steaks, leave them at room tº for twenty minutes, and salt them at the last moment.
    3. Thickness: a steak should be two or three fingers (1.5 to 2 inches) thick if you want it medium rare with a good crust.
    4. Preheating: Make sure the skillet or steak iron griddle is preheated.
    5. Searing: the steak must be first seared - cooking it quickly over very high heat to seal in the juices - on both sides over high heat, but finished over medium/low (unless you like it very rare inside, almost raw). Otherwise, it will become flushed, as we say here, which means the outside is too dark before the inside gets a chance to cook properly.
    6. Resting: Always let it rest for 5 minutes after you remove it from the heat source. The juices go to the outer part of the meat piece while cooking, and resting redistributes them.
    7. Doneness: Never pierce or cut a steak to check for doneness because the juices will start to drip. To test them, lightly press them down with a fork or kitchen tongs. The more it gives, or the flabbier it feels, the rarer it's still is. When it's very cooked, the meat will hardly yield when you press it. I know many use a thermometer, and it's fine as long as the needle is thin.

    Extra tip: did you know that the area below your thumb (yes, in your hand!), that thick mound that forms in the palm, is quite accurate when testing steaks? It's not perfect, of course, but it can help you start to feel when your steak is done instead of relying on a thermometer.

    A hand with the thumb and first finger touching their tips, image with text

    Rare: lightly join the tips of your thumb and index finger forming a circle with both fingers and press that area below the thumb (image above). It means that if you lightly press the steak while it's cooking (with a tong is fine), the pressure should be similar.
    Medium rare: join the middle finger and thumb it gets a little tighter.
    Medium well: touch the tip of your thumb with the ring finger
    Well done: use your pinky finger.

    Juicy sliced rump steak on a wooden board, garlic and rosemary around

    • Best Chimichurri Sauce (authentic recipe from Argentina)
    • Chorizo Sandwich with Chimichurri - Choripan
    • Bourbon Barbecue Sauce (two recipes!)
    • Steak and Chimichurri Sandwiches

    Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and also if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
    You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
    And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

    Print
    clockclock iconcutlerycutlery iconflagflag iconfolderfolder iconinstagraminstagram iconpinterestpinterest iconfacebookfacebook iconprintprint iconsquaressquares iconheartheart iconheart solidheart solid icon
    Very close up view of juicy slices of rosemary steak on a wood board

    Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak

    ★★★★★ 5 from 12 reviews
    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 15
    • Cook Time: 10
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Category: main dish
    • Method: Grilling
    • Cuisine: Argentinian
    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    Description

    The best and easiest recipe to cook a perfect steak! See notes for all my tricks.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 4 sirloin strip steaks, about 7-0z each (1 to 1.5-inches thick, room temperature)
    • 2 or 3 garlic cloves
    • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
    • 3 tablespoons  butter
    • 1 tablespoon  olive oil
    • Salt and pepper
    • A splash of white or red wine

    Instructions

    1. Mince garlic and rosemary.
    2. Add 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and mince it a little longer. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.
    3. Rub the paste over both sides of each steak.
    4. Heat a skillet over medium/high heat and melt butter. Add oil to prevent it from burning too much.
    5. Add steaks, season them with pepper and cook 1 or 2 minutes on each side.
    6. Turn it over, cook it 2 or 3 more minutes and add the wine (you can add extra garlic and rosemary now too to the skillet). It will steam furiously.
    7. Cook the steak 2 or 3 additional minutes for medium rare, remove steaks and let rest for 5 minutes.
    8. Meanwhile, cook the wine until reduced and a kind of sauce if formed.
    9. Slice the steaks and serve them with the sauce.

    Notes

    • Temperature: always have the meat at room temperature. That way it’ll be more tender. If it’s frozen, defrost it overnight in the fridge. The less change in temperature while defrosting, the better.
    • Salting: add salt right before it goes into the skillet. If you want to infuse some garlic and rosemary, rub them on the steaks, leave them at room tº for twenty minutes, and salt them at the last moment.
    • Thickness: a steak should be two or three fingers (1.5 to 2 inches) thick if you want it medium rare with a good crust.
    • Preheating: Make sure the skillet or steak iron griddle is preheated.
    • Searing: the steak must be first seared - cooking it quickly over very high heat to seal in the juices - on both sides over high heat, but finished over medium/low (unless you like it very rare inside, almost raw). Otherwise, it will become flushed, as we say here, which means the outside is too dark before the inside gets a chance to cook properly.
    • Resting: Always let it rest for 5 minutes after you remove it from the heat source. The juices go to the outer part of the meat piece while cooking, and resting redistributes them.
    • Doneness: Never pierce or cut a steak to check for doneness. To test them, lightly press them down with a fork or kitchen tongs. The more it gives, or the flabbier it feels, the rarer it's still is. When it's very cooked, the meat will hardly yield when you press it. I know many use a thermometer, and it's fine as long as the needle is thin.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: ¼
    • Calories: 513
    • Sugar: 0 g
    • Sodium: 685.9 mg
    • Fat: 37.4 g
    • Carbohydrates: 0.7 g
    • Protein: 40.5 g
    • Cholesterol: 171.6 mg

    Keywords: steak, steak dinner, meat

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @vintagekitchenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagekitchenblog

    « Blueberry Peach Upside Down Cake
    Almond Plum Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nicole Jones says

      November 24, 2020 at 11:12 pm

      This is the best steak recipe I’ve ever made! We enjoyed it very much and I doubt I’ll ever make steak another way, again.
      Thank you so much!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Paula Montenegro says

        November 25, 2020 at 7:45 am

        Thanks for letting me know Nicole! Have a great week!

        Reply
    2. CLK says

      November 01, 2020 at 1:39 pm

      What does this mean?????

      "Now, lightly join the tips of your thumb and index finger (you will form a circle with both fingers) and press that area below the thumb; that is rare steak.
      If you join the middle finger and thumb it gets a little tighter; that's medium-rare.
      The ring finger is cooked and the pinky is very cooked."

      My fingers are not a steak. A steak is a steak. My fingers are my fingers.

      Reply
    3. Dawn Winning says

      June 20, 2020 at 11:41 am

      Never making steak another way again. I used 3 small top sirloin filets. This was fabulous!!! Thank you.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Paula Montenegro says

        June 20, 2020 at 2:53 pm

        So glad you liked it! I love it with sirloin too.

        Reply
    4. Macarena says

      February 15, 2020 at 2:17 pm

      I have made this steak a million times and it never disappoints, the recipe and how you explain it. I can count on it to put my husband in a good mood lol! Thank you Paula for your tips and recipes.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Andrew Wilder says

      August 30, 2019 at 8:50 am

      This steak looks delicious!

      Reply
    6. Suzy says

      July 28, 2019 at 7:02 pm

      This taste so great! Love the flavor and how easy it is to make!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Sara Welch says

      July 28, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      What a robust recipe! I know what I will be having for dinner tonight! Looks amazing!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Alison says

      July 28, 2019 at 5:02 pm

      This recipe reminds me of how my mom prepared steak as a kid. Great tips for the home chef who wants to prepare their steak to perfection!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Thank you for leaving a review for this recipe Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Person with apron and tray of scones

    Hi, I'm Paula!

    A baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

    More about me →

    Featured in:

    Several colorful logos on white canvas

    Fruit recipes

    • Easy Caramel Apple Dump Cake
    • Easy Homemade Blueberry Sauce (or topping)
    • Chocolate Apple Crisp
    • Easy Pear Cake
    • Almond Plum Cake
    • Best Zucchini Bread with Pineapple

    Favorite cookies

    • White Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Chocolate Walnut (or Pecan) Cookies
    • Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Sesame Cookies
    • Lemon Crinkle Cookies (with video!)
    • Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

    Footer

    About

    The author
    Privacy Policy
    Amazon Associate
    Cookie policy
    Accessibility

    Contact

    Sign Up! for emails and updates
    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Copyright © 2020 Vintage Kitchen Notes