Steak Bites with Peppercorn and Garlic Butter

The juiciest steak bites ever! This recipe will show you how to cook the perfect steak bites on the stove. They are beautifully seared and crispy on the edges, juicy and tender inside. It's a restaurant-quality steak that will become a staple at your house.

If you are looking for an easy appetizer or dinner meal, try this steak bites recipe! This is an easy recipe for sirloin steak. It's made without a grill! The meat is so tender and juicy, served with garlic butter sauce. It’s a quick dinner that that can be ready in about 15 minutes. These steak bites are low carb and keto-friendly!

Peppercorn Steak Bites:

These flavorful peppercorn steak bites are made of simple seasoning. This steak recipe is very easy to cook, quick, and delicious. It’s the perfect meal or appetizer for your busy schedule!

The Steak Bites Marinade:

The simple steak seasoning is made with kosher salt and freshly crushed black peppercorn. I used whole black peppercorn that I purchased from Costco and crushed them lightly with a mortar and pestle. 

Freshly Crushed Peppercorns vs Ground Black Pepper

Ground pepper is basically the same as freshly crushed black peppercorns. Both have the same flavor profile and can be used interchangeably in any recipe. However, the benefit of the whole or freshly crushed peppercorns is having the freshest taste possible every time, when its properly stored. Prepared ground black pepper will have lost some of its potency. Therefore, to achieve the same spice level as freshly crushed peppercorns, you may need to use more of the ground pepper.

In this recipe you only need to use about 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns. Lightly crush them, then sprinkle over the meat evenly.

If you are going to serve the steak bites to kids or someone else that has a sensitivity to black pepper, use only 1 ½ teaspoon of freshly crushed black peppercorns. This way, you can still add a sharp, pungent aroma and flavor to the steak, but without all of the heat. Your kids probably won't even notice the peppercorn.

Garlic Butter Sauce:

The garlic butter sauce is made of unsalted butter and freshly minced garlic. Simple, easy, and creamy!  

Now, let's talk about the cooking process, from marinating to searing.

How to Cook the Steak on The Stove:

There are only 6 important steps to follow to make these steak bites: 

·         Resting at room temperature. Let the steak on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking so the meat will cook evenly from edge to center.

·         Marinate. While resting, marinate the meat with kosher salt and crushed black peppercorn. Please keep in mind that the steak doesn't work well with tiny grains of table salt.

·         Use the right pan and let it smoke. To get a nice sear on meat, you need a good heavy pan, such as cast iron. Cast iron can get really hot but without ruining the pan or the steak. Let the skillet get hot enough that it smokes a little before adding the steak.

·         Searing. Carefully place the steak in the hot pan, cook undisturbed for about 45 seconds - 1 minute or until it develops enough of a crust and no longer stick. Make sure that you hear that loud sizzling noise, see the browning, and smell the caramelizing taking place. Continue cooking, flipping for a total of 3-4 minutes. You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Transfer the meat to a plate. 

·        Coating. Add butter and minced garlic to the pan. Keep stirring to prevent burning, for about 45 seconds. Carefully add the seared steak back into the pan and cover the meat with the garlic butter evenly. 

·         Checking the temperature or doneness. Now, it’s time to check the internal temperature. For medium-rare is between 125°F and 130°F, the medium is between 135-145 °F, and well done is between 145-155 °F.

Remember that the internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise a little during the resting period. So the basic rule is to remove your meat from the skillet prior to reaching its target doneness temperature. Otherwise, it will be overcooked.

For example, with a medium-rare steak, you can start removing the steak from the heat when it reaches 120° to 125°F, or for the medium is between 130-135°F.

What to Serve with Steak Bites:

You can serve these steak bites with your favorite sides, such as:

• ROASTED BABY POTATOES WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC
• VEGETARIAN BROCCOLI SALAD
• FRESH BROCCOLI CASSEROLE – A TASTY SIDE DISH!
• ROASTED YELLOW SQUASH WITH PARMESAN CHEESE AND HERBS
• SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE

The Best Type of Steak Cuts:

You can use rib-eye, New York strip or sirloin strip, then filet and cut them in cubes.

The Best Oil to Cook Steak In:

You need to use a type of oil that has a high smoke point, such as; peanut oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil.

Storing the Leftover Steak Bites:

Place the leftover steak in an airtight container. When properly stored, the cooked steak will last 3-4 days in the fridge.