Instructions

1. Remove the top sirloin steak from refrigeration and let it come to room temperature, approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The steak muscle fibers contract and toughen if the steak is chilled when it is placed on the hot griddle pan.

2. Rub the top sirloin steak with extra virgin olive oil and season it well with freshly cracked black peppercorns and ground garlic cloves. Season the steak with sea salt immediately before placing the steaks in the griddle pan. Salt absorbs needed moisture from the steak and its contact time with the top sirloin steak is kept to a minimum.

3. Place the ungreased griddle pan directly on the burner and turn the burner up to high. Heat the griddle pan until it is extremely hot, generally about 5 to 10 minutes. These pans are typically non-stick and tolerate high heat.

4. Lay one to two top sirloin steaks at a time onto the very hot griddle pan. Do not allow the steaks to touch one another during the cooking process. Placing more than two steaks at one time on the griddle pan draws down the heat and the top sirloin steak is cooked improperly.

5. Turn the top sirloin steak with a pair of tongs only once while cooking. Cooking times for each side for a steak approximately 3/4-inch thick are as follows:

   rare: 1 1/2 minutes

   medium rare: 2 minutes

   medium: 2 1/2 minutes

   well done: 3 minutes.

6. Let the steak rest on a warmed plate 3 to 5 minutes before serving. The juices redistribute throughout and the top sirloin steak finishes cooking.