How To Cook a Steak At 400 Degrees & Not Dry It Out

Last Updated on April 12, 2020 by SteakEat

Heat up the oven – we are going high heat this time. This means that we will be roasting beef at 400F and above!

This article will help you get awesome results, because not every steak is suitable for this type of cooking.

Before we get to it, check out these 3 secrets behind every perfect steak. They can up your steak game right away.

And now…why don’t we start?

High-Temperature Roasting – That’s How We Call It

Because we are using a temperature that high, we will simply refer to the method as high-temperature roasting.

Did you know, that this type of cooking creates toxic compounds on the steak’s surface?

Did you know that simple marinating can significantly reduce these formations (and also add more flavor and tenderness to tougher cuts).

Now, as I already mentioned, not every cut of beef is suitable for it – high heat doesn’t make meat more tender.

In other words, if you had two identical steaks and cooked one of them at low and another one at high heat, you’d find the first one to be more tender, juicy and succulent.

It would also weigh more, because less moisture and fat would sizzle out.

The only shortcoming, which is easily fixed by quick searing on the stove, is that the surface of the steak prepared at low heat doesn’t brown.

This is why I suggest you try to cook steak in the oven first and then finish it on the stove.
You can also check out the SteakEat Method of cooking steak on stove.

Here is how.

Now – back to high heat.

We need some tender cuts on the first place.

They would also need to be thick – 2-3 inches is what you should aim for.

The ideal choices would then be:

• tri-tip
• beef fillet
• New York strip
• beef top loin
• rib eye

You would also need to mind the inside temperature – going beyond medium-rare or medium will not contribute to steak’s deliciousness =/.

That’s why I recommend a simple thermometer you can use for any food preparation.

Now that we have something to roast, let’s look at the process closer.

The 2 Ways Of High-Heat Roasting

Ok, you can do 2 things with it:

1)    I already mentioned this – you can sear your steak on the stove and then quickly finish it in the oven at 400F. Generally this would only take 10 minutes.

2)    Have it in the oven all the time. And this is what I am going to show you right below.

Let’s imagine that you got a prime rib and you can’t wait to cook it. Here is how you can do it easily!

First of all, let’s give it some flavor – crush garlic and salt together, mixing in some pepper and, perhaps, some herbs for steak. Leave the roast sitting like that for 2 hours covered or refrigerate overnight.

Now is the time to preheat the oven. We need 400F – do you remember?

Use a shallow roasting pan to put the roast inside it, bone side down.

Cook it for next 20 minutes – this is how we develop the surface browning.

Next step – reduce the temperature to 300F and check the inside temperature in about 50 minutes. You will need a special meat thermometer for that.

We are looking for 115F inside temperature. If it’s not there yet – keep going and check every 10-15 minutes.

Once it’s ready, take it out and let it rest, covered with foil, for around 25 minutes.

The heat will continue radiating from outside towards the center, further increasing the inside temperature by 5-10F. This is when experience kicks in – you need to take it out slightly before the readiness you are looking for.

Once it’s well-rested – cut it and enjoy!

Even though all the time estimates are given for prime rib, you can do the same thing with other suitable cuts. Just use meat thermometer and you are all set!

Final Tips

1. Be careful with roasting at ultra-high temperatures – that’s 400F+. It’s a bit harder to assess the level of doneness and when exactly you should take the steak out. In other words, it’s very easy to overcook and dry it out.

2. Watch out for splattering and smoking oven. Juices sizzle out at high temperature, so you will inevitably need to clean the oven quite frequently. This never happens at low heat.

P.S. If you still haven’t grabbed the 3 secrets for a tender juicy steak, then you can do it now…but only if you want.