Instructions

1. Sprinkle your ribeye with salt and pepper and, if you like, basil or steak seasoning rub. Heat your griddle on a medium-high flame -- or to the medium-high setting if it's electric -- and pour in a few tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil begins to sizzle, it's your cue to begin cooking.

2. Toss some chopped onion, red or yellow peppers, mushrooms or summer squash on your griddle, if desired. If you have a double-burner griddle, arrange the vegetables on the far end so that you give the ribeye plenty of space to stretch out and sizzle.

3. Set the ribeye on the griddle with a pair of tongs. Using tongs is a good habit when cooking steaks. Using a fork may be easier and more comfortable at first, but the juices you crave from the meat will seep out if you pierce the steak with a fork.

4. Press the ribeye into the heat periodically, if you wish. One of the benefits of cooking a steak on a stovetop is that it allows you to brown it so that it is crispy exactly where you want it to be.

5. Cook the ribeye about 15 minutes total, turning it over with the tongs about halfway through. Don’t forget to stir up the vegetables, too. The secret to cooking a ribeye to medium-rare perfection is to remove it from the heat as soon as the internal temperature reaches at least 135 degrees Fahrenheit when you check it with your meat thermometer.

6. Place the cooked steak on a platter for a few minutes and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. The steak will continue to cook even though it’s not over a flame. After a few minutes, the internal temperature should reach 140 degrees, the benchmark temperature for a steak cooked to the level of medium rare.