Copycat recipe
Copycat Steakhouse Steak Seasoning
Steakhouse seasoning is not exotic. It is salt, pepper, garlic, onion and paprika in sensible proportions, with a little sugar to help the crust colour.
What actually separates restaurant steak from home steak is rarely the blend — it is salting early and cooking hot. A good rub applied five minutes before cooking does far less than an ordinary one applied 45 minutes ahead.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coarse kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp cayenne (optional)
- ½ tsp dried thyme, crushed between your fingers
Method
Mix
Combine everything in a jar and shake hard for 30 seconds. Crush the thyme as it goes in so it disperses rather than sitting in clumps.
Season generously and early
Use roughly 1 tsp per side of a 200g steak. Apply at least 40 minutes before cooking, or the night before — the salt draws moisture out, then reabsorbs it seasoned, which is what seasons the interior rather than only the surface.
Dry the surface
Pat the steak dry immediately before it hits the pan. A wet surface steams instead of searing, and no seasoning survives that.
Cook hot
Get the pan or grill genuinely hot. The sugar in the blend helps the crust develop, but it also means the heat should be high and the time short — this is not a blend for a long, slow cook.
Notes & troubleshooting
- Coarse salt, not table salt. Table salt is far denser by volume and will make the blend aggressively salty.
- Grind the pepper coarsely. Fine pepper burns and turns bitter at searing temperatures.
- Keeps six months in a sealed jar away from light, though the paprika fades first.
- Also good on chicken thighs, pork chops, roast potatoes and corn.
- Halve the salt if you want to use it as a finishing sprinkle rather than a rub.
Questions
How long before cooking should I season a steak?
Either right before it goes in the pan, or at least 40 minutes ahead. The window in between is the worst option — the salt has pulled moisture to the surface but has not yet been reabsorbed, so the steak steams.
Can I use this as a marinade?
Not as-is, it is too salty in liquid. For a marinade, use about half the blend loosened with oil and a splash of Worcestershire.
Is this the restaurant blend?
No. Restaurant blends are proprietary and unpublished. This is an independent copycat aiming for the same flavour profile from ordinary store-cupboard spices.
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