Skillet Steak Caprese
Seared steak, blistered tomatoes, and cheese that survives a cooler. A car-camping dinner in one pan.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 16 oz
- cal / oz
- 45
- protein
- 52 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 30 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Beef fillets | 2, 6 to 8 oz each | packed frozen, thawed by dinner |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | split between steak and tomatoes |
| Salt | 2 tsp | divided |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp | divided |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Cherry tomatoes | 2 cups | heirloom if you have them |
| Garlic | 4 cloves, minced | or 1 tsp more garlic powder |
| Mozzarella | 8 oz | low-moisture block, not fresh in water |
| Basil | 1/4 cup fresh, or 1 tbsp dried | |
| Balsamic glaze | 2 tbsp | in a squeeze bottle |
Method
- Pull the steaks out of the cooler early and blot them dry with a bandana or paper towel. Wet steak steams instead of searing.
- Toss the tomatoes in a bag with half the oil, the garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Set a cast iron skillet on the grate over a bed of coals and let it heat for five minutes. It should be too hot to hold a hand over.
- Season the steaks all over with the remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the rest of the oil and sear four minutes a side.
- Move the steaks to a plate. Dump the tomatoes into the hot pan and leave them alone until the skins split, about four minutes.
- Slice the steaks against the grain and return them to the pan with the tomatoes. Scatter the cheese over the top and cover with foil for two minutes to soften it.
- Tear the basil over the pan and squeeze on the glaze.
This started as a cast iron kitchen recipe and it survives the trip out mostly intact, because a skillet over coals is what cast iron was built for. The one real change is the cheese. Fresh mozzarella lives in water, weeps into everything, and turns to slime after a day in a cooler. A low-moisture block holds its shape, melts on residual heat, and does not flood the pan.
Order matters more than technique. The steaks go first because they need a dry, screaming-hot surface; the tomatoes go second because they want the fond left behind. Resting the steak off-heat while the tomatoes blister is not a courtesy, it is the only way both come out right in one pan.
Coals, not flame. A live fire scorches the outside before the middle moves, and cast iron holds enough heat that you want it steady, not climbing.
Packing
Steaks go into the cooler frozen and act as ice for the first day. The mozzarella block, tomatoes, and garlic ride in a hard-sided container so nothing gets crushed. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder premixed in one small jar saves digging.
Variations
- Swap the fillets for flank or skirt steak and cut the sear to two minutes a side.
- No cooler cheese? Grated parmesan keeps at ambient and does the same job.
- Slice a baguette and rub it in the pan drippings once everything is out.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/one-pan-steak-caprese-with-fresh-basil-and-blistered-heirloom-tomatoes