Wood Fired Ribeye Steak

This wood-fired steak is seared to perfection in a hot pizza oven to give you one of the tastiest steaks you’ve ever eaten. Use a cast iron pan to cook it easily in your traditional brick oven or portable pizza oven, like the Ooni.

The extreme temperatures of the pizza oven are perfect for searing steaks and other meat. It will cook the meat in minutes to ensure it stays juicy and tender and lets it take on further flavor from the char and the wood smoke.

This is one of my favorite recipes to do in a pizza oven and one everyone should try. For some more recipes check out my 25 foods to cook in a pizza oven.

Ingredients

Steak

I went for a ribeye for this recipe but in reality, you can use any thick-cut steak. Going for a thick steak is pretty important as a thin steak can overcook extremely quickly in the heat of the pizza oven.

Ribeye is a great choice as it has lots of fat marbled through it. This can brown nicely for some tasty, crispy edges and also melt out and help build a delicious charred crust on the meat. The fat also prevents it from overcooking, unlike a lean cut which can dry out.

Ribeye also has a great balance between flavor and tenderness so you are left with a juicy steak that has a super beefy taste. The shape of ribeye means you can get a nice thick and wide steak to feed multiple people, which isn’t possible with all cuts.

Seasoning

You can use your favorite steak seasoning here but I went with a classic pepper and sea salt. Beef can take a fair amount of salt so be generous with salting the raw meat. I also sliced the meat once cooked and sprinkled some more salt on the slices that hadn’t had any salt.

Remember that salt draws out moisture from the meat so season it thoroughly just before cooking. You can also season it over 30 minutes before cooking, and the liquid drawn out will mix with the salt and be drawn back inside via osmosis. But try not to do somewhere in between!

Oil And Butter

I used olive oil for this steak but you can use other oils. Some people will tell you to not use olive oil as it has a low smoke point and can burn, but if you use small amounts I have never noticed any bad flavors.

More importantly, is to rub oil onto the steak rather than splash lots into the pan. This way you use just enough oil that you need and the excess won’t smoke up.

Butter adds a sweet, rich flavor after cooking and moistens the meat. I took a chunk of butter and rubbed the steak after cooking which is a delicious final step.

Tools

Wood Fired Oven

To cook this steak you can use a traditional brick dome oven or a portable pizza oven such as the Ooni or Gozney Roccbox ovens.

I used the Ooni Karu 12 for this recipe and used a mixture of charcoal briquettes and wood for fuel. The briquettes form the base when lighting and then wood blocks keep it firing hot.

The wood makes a little more smoke when heating up but when it’s burning super hot, much less smoke is released as the wood burns efficiently. The wood can add a little more flavor but it’s not considerable if you want to use charcoal.

Get the oven to medium-high heat by firing it until it reaches about 600°F (315°C) on the stone, and then ensure fresh wood is burning to continue the hot temperature. You can use an infrared thermometer to check the oven floor or stone.

Cast Iron Pan

You can either cook this steak on metal grill bars or use cast iron pans or skillets. I went for cast iron as it’s clean and simple with great results. Avoid cooking directly on the pizza stone as the fat ruins it.

You can buy cast iron pans from Amazon as I used (they fit fine), or Ooni has a selection of specific cast iron pans. The Ooni pans are a little more expensive but are quality cookware.

Preheating the cast iron pan for 10-15 minutes is crucial to get that sear on the meat – the pan should read about 600°F (315°C) with an infrared thermometer.

Be extremely careful with burns – it’s easy to forget and reach for the red-hot panhandle by mistake so keep a heatproof glove near the handle.

How To Cook The Wood Fired Steak

Step 1

Fire up your oven and preheat it medium-high to around 600°F (315°C). For larger dome ovens this can take an hour or two but for a portable pizza oven like this Ooni, this takes about 20 minutes depending on the weather.

Preheat the cast iron pan in the hot oven for about 10-15 minutes so the steak sears when it is added (again, read 600°F/315°C with a thermometer). Be very careful and use a heat-proof glove when handling the cast iron pan.

At the same time, remove the steak from the fridge about 45 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.

Step 2

Rub a small amount of oil into the steak and season it heavily with salt and black pepper. Season it just before cooking so that the salt doesn’t withdraw any moisture from the meat, then add it safely to the preheated pan and close the oven door.

Step 3

Cook the steak for about 90 seconds on each side to get medium-rare for this size. The extreme heat means the meat will be seared brown on the outside and fairly rare in the middle, rather than having a consistent color throughout.

Turn the steak after 90 seconds by opening the door, removing the pan with heat-proof gloves, then flipping and rotating it with some tongs to allow both ends near the flames for even cooking. Place it back inside and close the door for another 90 seconds.

If you have a meat thermometer then medium rare is 135°F (57°C).

Step 4

Remove the steak once cooked and place it on a plate to prevent overcooking, while placing the hot cast iron pan somewhere heatproof.

Take a chunk of butter and rub the surface of the steak until it melts and adds a tasty glaze. Rest the steak for 5 minutes so it relaxes its juices then slice against the grain of the meat fibers and sprinkle some salt flakes on top.

Recipe FAQs

How long does it take to cook a steak in a pizza oven?

A 16oz steak which is roughly 1.5 inches thick will take 90 seconds on each side for medium rare when seared at a 600°F (315°C) pan. For thinner steaks, you can reduce this time unless you like your meat cooked more well done.

What temperature do you cook steak in a pizza oven?

It’s best to cook steak at about 600°F (315°C) in a pizza oven which is slightly less than pizza temperatures. You can place a cast iron pan in the oven to preheat and test the temperature of the pan with an infrared thermometer.

Can you sear a steak on a pizza stone?

It’s not recommended to sear steaks on a pizza stone as the juice and grease will be absorbed by the stone leading to deterioration. You can wrap the pizza stone in foil but it’s better to use a cast iron pan for quick and easy cleanup and to keep the stone in good condition.