Let's start with the basics: a good ribeye, authentic butter, kosher salt or coarse sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. The ribeye has a delicious meaty flavor and, when combined with simple ingredients and cooked correctly, it is all the flavor you need.

The moment you salt the steak is critical to achieving a perfect sear. For the best pan-seared steak, you have two optimal options when it comes to salting:

1. Season with salt at least 50 to 60 minutes before putting it in the pan (if possible, with more time).
2. Add the salt right before putting the steak in the pan.

While it may seem trivial, salting correctly is essential to achieve a good dry sear. If you salt the steak and put it in the pan just 2 or 3 minutes later, the salt will begin to draw moisture out of the steak. This will cause the steak to smoke, steam, and dry out, rather than searing properly.

Ideally, you should salt the steak and let it rest overnight in the fridge. The second-best option would be to salt it and let it rest for 50 to 60 minutes before cooking. The third-best option is to salt it just before cooking. Just be sure to avoid the 2- to 50-minute window after salting to achieve a perfect sear.

Start by preheating the cast iron skillet for 4 or 5 minutes over high heat. Preheating is essential, especially with cast iron, which retains heat very well but does not distribute it quickly. Proper preheating helps prevent hot spots from forming and food from sticking.

Cast iron is ideal for cooking steaks thanks to its ability to retain heat. Unlike aluminum or stainless steel pans, which lose heat quickly, cast iron allows you to achieve a beautiful sear and maintains a high temperature even after flipping the steak.

The Victoria SIGNATURE series is designed to offer perfect balance in terms of weight. The thick, heavy bottom retains heat, while the thinner upper walls and handle reduce weight. In this example, we used a 30 cm skillet from the Victoria SIGNATURE series, the SIGNATUREsoft model, which took about 4 and a half minutes to reach the ideal temperature.

When the pan is hot, add the butter and let it melt, swirling it from side to side to coat the cooking surface evenly without burning it. You can also add a few cloves of garlic for extra flavor. Pat the steak dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture; this helps a better crust form and ensures it browns well.

When the butter has melted and coated the pan, carefully place the steak onto the hot cast-iron skillet. Position the steak so that it lies flat, in even contact with the cooking surface, for uniform browning. Let the steak cook undisturbed for about 1-2 minutes; this will create a nice crust.

Using a spatula or tongs, carefully lift one side of the steak to check if it sticks. If it does, the crust may not be ready yet, so you should wait a little longer before flipping it. Moving or lifting the steak too early could cause it to stick and tear. Once it is ready, flip the steak to cook the other side.

Lower the heat and let the other side brown and cook until it reaches the desired doneness. In our example, we waited until it reached an internal temperature of 57 to 58 °C to get a rare steak.

If you don't have a thermometer, you can make a small cut in the center to take a look. As long as you don't shred the steak, a single cut is fine, and that's better than overcooking it.

Remove the steak from the pan and place it on a plate or cutting board.

Once you have cooked the steak to your desired level of doneness, it is essential to let it rest for ten minutes before cutting it. Cover the steak loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm during this resting period. The reason for this crucial step is to allow the meat's juices to redistribute evenly. As the steak cooks, the heat pushes the juices toward the center of the meat. By letting the steak rest, the juices have time to flow back to the outer edges, resulting in a more tender, juicy, and flavorful steak. Resting also allows the muscle fibers to relax, which further improves the tenderness of the steak.

If this step is skipped, the steak could end up dry and less flavorful, as cutting it too soon would cause the juices to escape, leaving the meat less juicy and tender.

What we like best is to slice it into strips and eat it right off the cutting board (I know, we're savages!)