A Baseball Steak looks similar to a filet mignon, but it’s actually a steak cut from the top sirloin. Lean and beefy flavored, this thick cut steak benefits from a quick high-heat pan searing to lock in juices while forming a deeply browned crusty exterior. By the end, you’ll have a beautifully medium-rare steak with a deep toasty flavored crust.
- This is a simple method for pan-searing a Baseball Top Sirloin.
- You’ll learn which skillet is best for a perfect crusty sear.
- A fool-proof method for pan-searing that will have you feeling like you’ve just graduated from Culinary School.
Considered to be a very flavorful cut, this steak is perfect for your next date night, or just to turn a weeknight dinner into a restaurant feel meal. And at a much reduced price that a Filet Mignon.
This recipe is for any home cook, no matter what skill level who bought a Baseball Steak and is looking for a reliable pan searing results.
Table of contents
What Is A Baseball Top Sirloin Steak?
The Baseball Steak Cut get it’s name from it’s rounded shape. This steak is cut from the center of the top sirloin which is located between the loin and the butt. It’s lean, thick, beefy with flavor and similar in appearance to a Filet Mignon, without the expensive price. A Baseball Top Sirloin is usually cut between 1 ½ – 2 inches thick. Bold and beefy with flavor, it has more marbling than a Filet Mignon and should be cooked medium rare. This cut is not commonly found in the meat case at your local grocery store, but can be requested from a local butcher shop or specialty meat store.
Why Pan Sear?
I hadn’t even heard of the baseball-cut top sirloin until Culinary School, where we learned about all kinds of specialty butcher cuts I never knew existed. And before that, I was honestly intimidated by the idea of cooking an expensive steak, until I discovered how simple and consistent pan-searing can be. It quickly became my go-to method because it eliminates the guesswork and unpredictability of grilling outdoors. In school, we always pan-seared our steaks, and that habit has stuck with me … except on Summer days when nothing beats a Grilled T-Bone Steak.
Essential Ingredients and Equipment
Mise en place. Always gather ingredients before starting any recipe. It will save you time and organize your mind.
- Two Baseball Top Sirloin Steaks
- High Heat Oil: High heat oils are those that can withstand high cooking temperatures without smoking or burning. Avocado oil, peanut oil, and canola are good choices here.
Seasoning
- Kosher Salt: Is preferred by chefs due to it’s texture and pure salt flavor. You can also season with Montreal Steak Seasoning.
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- Compound Butter: Optional. I’m going to place a pat of my Whiskey Butter on top of my sliced steak once it’s plated.
- Equipment: Use either a cast iron skillet or a French Carbon Steel pan. Both are excellent stove-top to oven skillets for getting a good sear on any steak. Avoid using a non-stick pan. They are notorious for not creating enough heat to sear steak, plus they’re not oven safe.
Step by Step: How Make Pan-Seared Baseball Steak
Preparation Is Key
- Room Temperature: A baseball steak can be cut as thick as 2″. Take the steak out of the refrigerator for an hour before you’re going to cook it. If the steak is chilled when it hits the pan it won’t cook evenly.
- Pat Dry: Use a paper towel to thoroughly dry the steak. I like to let the steak sit on a paper towel while it comes to room temperature. The paper towel will draw the moisture out as the steak comes to room temperature.. Then pat the top of the steak dry. This is important to achieve Maillard Reaction, that beautiful crust we love on a well cooked steak. Maillard reaction brings flavor and keeps juices in while cooking.
Achieving The Perfect Sear – High Heat
Don’t be afraid of heat. A good hot pan is where the perfect sear starts.
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once the steak has been patted dry with a paper towel, season both sides with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Add the oil to the pan and heat the pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the seasoned steaks.
- Step 2: Cook for three minutes without moving the steak. Use a sturdy spatula to flip the steak and cook for three more minutes. Move the steaks to the oven and cook for a few minutes. The final internal temperature for a baseball steak should be 120 – 125 degrees for medium-rare. I pull the steak from the oven when it reaches 115 – 120 degrees.
- Step 3: Remove steaks to a cutting board and tent for 5 minutes. This will allow the juices to reabsorb and redistribute into the steak. Letting the Baseball steaks rest is a critical step for a perfectly cooked medium rare steak. During this rest period, the steaks should continue to cook and reach 120 – 125 degrees.
Variations – Cook In Butter and Herbs
This recipe is one that’s simply seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with a compound butter. Here’s another simple version that I’ve made using butter.
- Butter: Melt butter in your oven safe skillet at medium heat. Add one clove garlic, a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Let the herbs cook in the butter for two minutes. Turn up heat to medium high and add salt and peppered steaks. Tilt the pan and spoon butter over steaks as they cook on one side for three minutes. Turn and repeat, then transfer steaks (minus the herbs) to the oven to finish.
Tips For Success
- Patience: Don’t move the steak in the pan until it’s time to flip it. This will ensure a good sear.
- Internal Temperature: When cooking a thick cut of meat like a baseball steak, or for that matter, any piece of meat, there are factors that go in determining the cooking time. The best way to ensure your steak is cooked to your preference is to use an instant read meat thermometer.
- Resting Temperature: Keep in mind that this pan-seared baseball steak, or any piece of meat you cook will continue to cook once pulled from the oven and tented. Generally the internal temperature will rise from 5 – 10 degrees.
Guide To Steak Cooking Temperatures
- Rare: (cool red center) 115 – 120 degrees F
- Medium rare: (red center) 115 – 120 degrees F
- Medium: (warm pink center) 125 – 130 degrees F
- Medium well: (slightly pink center) 140 – 145 degrees F
- Well done (little or no pink) 155 degrees F
Internal temperatures will rise 5 degrees during the rest time.
What To Serve It With
- I like to keep it simple and serve with a green vegetable. Green beans are a good choice here. Simmered in salted water until tender and then buttered.
- Steak and Potatoes make excellent partners. Take a look at my recipe for Cumin Garlic Marbled Potatoes, or these Garlic Butter Slow Cooker Roasted Baked Potatoes.
- For added flavor top with a pat of compound steak butter like my recipe for Whiskey Butter. A drizzle of Balsamic Reduction Sauce is a popular choice, or serve these Baseball Steaks with a Cowboy Butter dipping sauce.
Storage and Reheating
- Leftover steak will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Use an oven or air-fryer to reheat leftovers. I don’t recommend a microwave as it will toughen the tender meat.
- Freeze any leftover steak in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
FAQ’s
Make sure your steak is dry by patting it with paper towels before searing. Simply stated, a dry steak will sear better. Get your pan very hot before adding the steaks. Using a cast iron skillet or carbon steel pan is a good choice to achieve a good sear.
I don’t recommend it, but you can. Pat away any ice crystals from the steak, then pan sear according to the instructions in this recipe. Move the pan to the oven then monitor the internal temperature. A frozen steak will take about 15 – 30 minutes.
Ask your local butcher or meat specialty shop to order the cut for you. Or seek out a cattle ranch that sells meat. I purchase all of my beef from Bootheel7 Ranch in Wyoming.
Pan-searing a baseball-cut top sirloin steak is one of the simplest ways to achieve steakhouse quality results at home and less expensive than cooking a filet mignon. This baseball sirloin recipe is so simple to make. Serve it with your favorite sides for an easy, special feel meal.
More Special Steak Recipes
And if you’re steak lovers like us, don’t miss my Beef Category, you’ll find lots of beefy recipes, including the most popular on my site for Beef Tagliata, a very special Italian Flank Steak Recipe.
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Baseball Steak – How To Pan Sear A Baseball Top Sirloin Steak
- 1 Oven Safe Skillet Cast Iron or Carbon Steel
- 1 Tablespoon Neutral Oil canola, vegetable, avocado or butter
- 16 0ounce Baseball Top Sirloin Steaks 2 8-ounce steaks, about 2 inches thick
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Fresh ground pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Compound Steak Butter see notes below
- If making compound butter, allow a couple hours in advance for the butter to set-up, once flavored.
- Remove steaks from the refrigerator and place on a paper towel. Let steaks come to room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once the steak has been patted dry with a paper towel, season both sides with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Add the oil to the pan and heat the pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the seasoned steaks.
- Cook for three minutes without moving the steak. Use a sturdy spatula to flip the steak and cook for three more minutes. Move the steaks to the oven and cook for a few minutes or until internal temperature reaches 120 – 125 degrees for medium-rare.
- Remove steaks to a cutting board and tent for 5 minutes. This will allow the juices to reabsorb and redistribute into the steak. Letting the Baseball steaks rest is a critical step for a perfectly cooked medium rare steak.
- Patience: Don’t move the steak in the pan until it’s time to flip it. This will ensure a good sear.
- Internal Temperature: When cooking a thick cut of meat like a baseball steak, or for that matter, any piece of meat, there are factors that go in determining the cooking time. The best way to ensure your steak is cooked to your preference is to use an instant read meat thermometer.
- Resting Temperature: Keep in mind that this pan-seared baseball steak, or any piece of meat you cook will continue to cook after removed from the oven and tented. Generally the internal temperature will rise from 5 – 10 degrees.
Pan-Seared Baseball Steak … It’s What’s For Dinner
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
The first time I heard about a baseball steak was when we ordered some steaks online and the ranch where the meat came from included one as a thank you gift. The meat was very flavorful.
Nice how-to for pan searing steaks and after my last successful. I think this will become my go-to cooking methos as well. I’d never heard of a baseball steak but will probably not pursue it as Bev prefers a filet’s tenderness to the beefiness of other cuts and cannot be convinced otherwise.