How to Cook a Steak in a Convection Oven

Convection ovens offer a fast and convenient way to cook a delicious steak. Use the convection oven broiler or convection bake for an evenly cooked steak.

A regular oven has two heating elements — one on the bottom that is used to bake food and one on the top to broil food. Food that is closest to the heating elements cooks faster, and many regular ovens have hot and cold spots, causing food to cook and brown unevenly.

A convection oven has three heating elements and a fan that circulates the air, according to Whirlpool. This ensures that the temperature is the same throughout the oven and allows food to cook evenly, even if you are using multiple racks. Food also tends to cook faster due to the third heating element.

Most recipes you find online will have instructions for a normal oven, but you can easily use these recipes with a convection oven with a few simple adjustments. First, set your convection oven to 25 degrees Fahrenheit below the temperature recommended on the recipe for a normal oven. Also, be sure to check the food frequently, as cooking time in a convection oven is often less than in a regular oven.

You can cook your steak with your favorite seasoning or marinade or keep it simple with this recipe from LIVESTRONG.com. Season your steak with salt on all sides and allow it to dry in the refrigerator for at least three hours. Then, place your steak on the counter for at least 30 minutes to allow it to warm to room temperature.

Roast in an oven preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook it for 15 minutes, then rotate the steak and cook for another 10 minutes. When cooking a convection oven steak, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. You will not need to rotate the steak as the convection heats the oven evenly.

You can also cook steak with a convection oven broiler. Place your steak on a broiler pan and place in the broiler after preheating. Food Network recommends the following cooking times for porterhouse, t-bone and sirloin steaks, but remember, steak may cook faster in a convection oven, so check the meat frequently.

• Rare steak: six to seven minutes on each side
• Medium steak: nine to 12 minutes on each side

There are a variety of options when it comes to selecting a steak. Some options include t-bone, rib eye and tri-tip steak, notes the University of Maryland. Marbling, the fat that is woven throughout the meat, makes the steak more tender and flavorful, but aim for lean cuts of meat to stay healthy.

A 100-gram rib eye steak, for example, has approximately 186 calories with 63 percent of the calories coming from protein and 37 percent from fat, according to the USDA. A 100-gram t-bone, on the other hand, has 211 calories with only 54 percent of the calories coming from protein and 46 percent from fat, notes the USDA.

Beef should be burgundy in color and turn bright red when exposed to the air for approximately 15 minutes. Refrigerated beef may turn brown after about five days, notes the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service. After you purchase your steak be sure to keep it refrigerated and eat it within three to five days. If you don't plan to eat the steak in that time frame, put it in the freezer.