Cast iron NY strip steak

8:00 amRemove the steak from the refrigerator and place it on a plate or cutting board. Liberally salt the exterior of the steak, top, bottom, and sides. Let the salted steak rest for 25 minutes.

8:25 amAfter 25 minutes, place a cast-iron pan on the stove over medium or medium-high heat and allow the pan to warm up for 5 minutes.  

While the pan is warming up, wipe the steak dry with paper towels. The salt should have made the exterior of the steak lose some liquid, but we need the steak to be very dry when it goes into the pan.

Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan and allow it to spread out over the pan surface a little. If you have an infrared thermometer, check to ensure that the pan is above 450 F ( 230 C). 

8:30 amPlace the steak into the pan, and press it down all around to make sure that the surface of the steak has full contact with the hot surface of the pan.

Cook, without touching the steak, for 4 minutes. 

8:34 amAfter 4 minutes, flip the steak and cook it untouched for another 4 minutes. While the second side of the steak is cooking, you can add more salt and ground black pepper to the exposed side if you wish.

8:38 amAfter a total of 8 minutes of cooking time, using tongs, grab the steak and press the sides of the steak onto the surface of the pan. Definitely do this if you see any large pieces of white fat on the edge of the steak. You'll only need a minute or two for each side.

8:40 amOnce the sides are lightly seared, move the steak to a cutting board to rest for five minutes. At this point, you can add black pepper to the exposed side of the steak.

8:45 amAfter 5 minutes of resting time, you can slice the steak and serve.