How to Cook Chuck Steak in Cast Iron Skillet Juicy & Tender

Last Updated on October 8, 2014 by SteakEat

So you want to cook a chuck steak in a cast iron skillet.

Yes? Well, you’re on the right website!

Here I will give you a detailed step-by-step tutorial of cooking the perfect, mouthwatering chuck steak which will be bound to earn you dozens of compliments from your loved ones.

So without further ado, let’s get started.

How To Cook Chuck Steak in Cast Iron Skillet in 6 Steps

Step 1: Before searing chuck steak in cast iron skillet, pat it dry with paper towels – it helps with browning of the surface and development of extra flavor as a result.

Once you’ve done that, lightly coat both sides of the steak with olive/coconut oil. The oil will act as a lubricant to transfer the heat from the pan to the meat as quickly as possible.

Step 2: Now season the steak. Sprinkle it with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. If you want to get a boost of flavor, you should add some dried herbs.

Parsley, thyme or rosemary can give that extra kick to your steak when used a dry rub.

However, be careful! If you use too much of the herbs, they might overpower the taste completely. Not even talking about them burning on the pan…

Keep the seasonings light. After all, we want to maximize the flavor of our chuck steak itself.

Tip: You may discover that pepper burns at a very high temperature and results in a charred flavor. If that’s the case and it bothers you, use freshly-ground pepper right after the steak is finished cooking as opposed to doing it when it’s raw.

Step 3: Preheat the cast iron skillet. You don’t need to put any additional oil in it as all the oil you need is already on the chuck steak.

Let the steak sizzle for about 2- 3 minutes until you get a good brown color. Don’t let the steak burn and flip it quickly to the other.

Tip: Cast iron skillets, especially the ones that were just bought recently, tend to be quite sticky. So when you put the steak inside, move it slightly and unstick it from the skillet’s surface (you will feel that it did stick). Then leave it as it is – it won’t stick any further.

Step 4: If you like your steak rare, you can take it off the skillet and onto a serving dish to be eaten straight way.

If you are looking for a nice, juicy tender chuck steak, then you should transfer the skillet to a preheated oven to cook some more.

The temperature of the preheated oven should be set to 130C / 260 degrees Fahrenheit. It might seem a bit low, but chuck steak is quite tough, so I want it to be as tender as possible thus such a low temperature is ideal. The slower you cook it, the more tender it stays.

Step 5: Before closing the lid of the oven, drop a small pat of butter on top of the steak. When the butter melts, it will give your steak a nice caramelized flavor.

Keep the steak in the oven until it reaches a temperature of about 55C / 130F. You can check the temperature by using a meat thermometer.

Check this cooking times guide and ways of checking steak doneness for help.

Step 6: If you think that the steak doesn’t look very appealing on its own and you want a sauce to give it that complete look, you can easily make a delicious one in no time at all.

Once you’ve taken your cooked steak out of the pan, set it aside.

Now in that still flaming hot pan (which, by the way, you would be wise to handle with oven mitts), throw in:

• ½ cup of shallots
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ½ cup freshly chopped herbs ( parsley, oregano, thyme- your choice!)
• 2 crushed garlic cloves

Stir everything and once the sauce thickens a bit, pour out the sauce on the steak and you are good to go!

Cooking a chuck steak on a cast iron skillet is not a difficult process at all.

If you follow the above-mentioned steps carefully, you are bound to get a flavorful dish out that you will surely want to cook again and again.

Since the chuck is tough piece of meat, it will be better to cook the steak in the oven after you are done cooking it on the skillet.

This is a wholesome and healthy meal and full of nutrition.

I recommend you to serve the chuck steak with vegetables and healthy starches. These can include baked sweet potatoes as well baked carrots and celery.

Moreover, you can always experiment with the ingredients for the sauce. Instead of using red wine, you can also choose white wine or beef broth.

Explore!