Rib Eye Steak with Mushrooms & Salsa from Why I Cook

"What's there to say that isn't clear from a steak recipe? A rib eye is primal and its pleasures self-evident. Here I serve it with some scallions, onions, and mushrooms, all cooked - serially - in the same pan so that they benefit from the accumulated juices given off by the steak."

- Tom Colicchio

Recently, my boys told me they wanted a steak dinner. Now, as much as I adore a handsome steakhouse with a $100 steak, my boys mostly appreciate a nice, casual home-cooked steak - one that won't make you cry if it gets burned. Luckily, I know where to find both.

This family-favorite rib eye with portobello mushrooms and salsa verde is a great way to spend any evening at home.

Learn more about cooking with kids.

Jump to:

• Why I Cook
• Sunday Gravy
• Food from Around the World: Free Cooking Lessons
• How to Make Rib Eye Steak with Mushrooms & Salsa
• Rib Eye with Portobello Mushrooms
• Montessori Continent Boxes
• Rib Eye Steak with Mushrooms & Salsa

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Amazon links are not affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure.

Why I Cook

This rib eye steak with mushrooms and salsa verde recipe comes from Why I Cook by Tom Colicchio.

If we were being particularly awful, my mother would force us to come along on her errands - a special circle of hell for a preteen boy. I can remember being compelled to sit at my cousin Patty's beauty salon once while my mother had her weekly appointment.

I picked up a magazine from the stack by the hair dryers, bored before I even opened it. Under it was one I hadn't seen before, called Cuisine. Up to this point, I enjoyed helping out in the kitchen - mixing the Sunday meatballs, sometimes helping Grandma with her cakes - so it caught my eye.

On the cover was a portrait of an elderly Black woman and something about Cajun cooking, which I'd never heard of. This was long before Paul Prudhomme and K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, and the cuisine was still unknown to most of the country.

I flipped to the article and was immediately drawn in. The author traced the origins of this exotic-sounding cuisine - jambalaya, gumbo, boudin, andouille - that had been brought to Louisiana in the eighteenth century by French Acadians expelled from Canada and then synthesized with the West African cooking traditions of the region's enslaved population.

The article described how the cuisine was durther developed and refined by Black women working as domestics and cooks in the white homes of New Orleans, evolving into what became known as Creole cooking.

This was the first time that I'd considered how food - what we ate - carries with it stories that could serve as a window into history, a subject I loved. American history sure wasn't taught that was at St. Mary's.

If you like this ribeye steak, you should try Tom's grilled cheese with mozzarella & 'nduja, bison cheeseburgers, Spanish meatballs, bean soup with sausage & sauerkraut, and bison chili.

How to Make Rib Eye Steak with Mushrooms & Salsa

Ingredients

• steak - a ½- to 2-pound bone-in rib eye about 1 ½ inches thick is preferable
• salt - Kosher salt is recommended
• oil - this recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil
• mushrooms - grab some of those big, beautiful portobello mushrooms for this steak dish
• onions - red onions are the perfect pairing with the mushrooms
• scallions
• salsa verde - serve your favorite salsa verde alongside this rib eye

Equipment

• Apron
• Prep Bowls
• Butcher Block
• Child-Friendly Knife
• Chef Knife
• Measuring Spoons
• Wooden Spoon
• Blue Carbon Steel Frying Pan - or other oven-safe pan
• Spatula
• Meat Thermometer

Remove the Rib Eye from the Refrigerator

Wash your hands with soap and water. Take the rib eye out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Season the rib eye with salt and then flip the steak over to season the other side. Wash your hands after touching raw meat.

Sear the Steak

Pour the oil into the pan and heat it over medium heat. The oil will be shimmering when hot. Transfer the steak to the pan. Sear the steak for 3 to 4 minutes and then use a spatula to turn it over. Sear the other side for 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the Steak to the Oven

Turn off the stove. Transfer the steak in the pan over to the preheated oven. Cook the steak until it reaches the desired temperature, 130 °F for medium-rare, 135 °F for medium steak.

Turn off the oven and transfer the steak to a cutting board.

Cook the Portobello Mushrooms

While the steak is resting, turn the stove to medium heat. Place the portobello mushrooms in the same pan the steak was cooked in. Tom says to work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan.

Season the mushrooms with salt. Use a spatula to press down on the mushrooms as they cook to sear until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use the spatula to flip them over and repeat.

Afterward, transfer the mushrooms and any juices to a large bowl. Set aside.

Cook the Onions

Use a knife and cutting board to slice the onions into rounds. Transfer them to the same pan and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned. Flip them one time while cooking.

When finished, transfer the onions to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Cook the Scallions

Use a knife to trim the scallions but leave them whole. Transfer them to the same pan. Cook the scallions until they are soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add them to the mushrooms and onions. Give everything a stir.

Warm the Steak & Serve

At this point, you may want to return the steak to the oven for a few minutes to warm it up. Turn off the oven when finished.

Serve the steak with the grilled vegetables and some salsa verde. We used steak knives to split our steak up and cover with the veggies and salsa.