The 3 Herbs Gordon Ramsay Reaches For When Cooking Steak

Steak comes up quite a bit in the great Gordon Ramsay food opinion index. Ramsay's tilted pan technique for a superior steak sear, for example, is but one of many celebrity chef tips you can follow for better cuts of beef at dinner. And herbs, of course, must also enter the equation for the tastiest bite every time.

In an instructional video from "The F Word" on YouTube in which Ramsay also employs chicken stock for juicier steak, the famed haute cuisine hothead tosses in some crushed garlic before reaching for fresh rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf to bring more aromatic savor to his pair of thick, crimson filet mignons. Ramsay names the typically expensive bovine variety among his favorites, but the botanical trio will similarly enliven whatever red meat is on your menu with its bouquet. The trick is knowing when to add the herbs and maintaining enough liquid for their essence to absorb. Simply tossing a sprig of this or that on top of a chop isn't going to go very far in terms of flavor, but that moisture will help it better incorporate.

Gordon Ramsay may use a humble chicken stock bath to keep his filets nice and moist, but not before salting, peppering, and searing them on all sides in a hot pan with olive oil for a colorful crust. The combined fat from the oil and juices from the steak might create enough lubrication on their own, but you'll also likely need to add a splash of broth, stock, or wine to get things flowing.

Once you've got the makings of a de facto baste, then the garlic and herbs can do their thing. You can, like Ramsay, adjust it all a bit at first, turning the steaks in the pan, but you'll ultimately let the meat sit for a few minutes to soak up the herb-enhanced liquid. The garlic's sharp notes will embolden the rosemary's woodsy perfume, the thyme's earthy freshness and the bay leaf's near menthol quality — at least among bay leaf believers. Ramsay also spoons a bit of the pan sauce around the plate once everything is ready to serve. Whether using this herbaceous trio or another blend, a simple formula will help you achieve a similarly perfect pan sauce every time.