The best way to cook steak for holiday parties

By Genevieve Ko, The New York Times

There’s an undeniable urge to roar — or at least growl — when setting a thick steak into a ripping hot pan. Hearing the hard hiss of the sizzling fat is satisfaction enough, but then the smell of charred meat follows fast, and it’s pure pleasure from there.

And no cut delivers a bigger cooking thrill — or better eating — than bone-in rib-eyes with their generous marbling and primal richness. Butchered from the same part of the cow as prime rib, the steaks have the tenderness of the roast but with a salty crust in every bite. I love serving them for parties, especially around the holidays, and have had to figure out a technique that works when hosting guests.

Searing is intense cooking and, unlike grilling outdoors, best done when alone. Holistically, it’s a solitary meditation between you and the meat. Practically, it’s not great having people crowd around the stove when you need to focus and when smo...