How to Cook a Foil-Wrapped Steak in the Oven

Cooking steak in the oven with foil produces tasty results with minimal effort. This style of cooking — heating steak in foil packets along with potatoes and vegetables — ensures a stress-free and delicious meal.

According to USDA, there are three different grades of beef: prime, choice and select. Prime, which you'll generally find in upscale restaurants, has a fairly large amount of marbling — the amount of fat mixed with the lean meat. Choice beef has less marbling, though it's still high quality. Select has the least amount of marbling, and is the leanest of the three grades. However, it may lack some of the flavor found in prime and choice beef.

In addition to choosing a grade of beef, you'll have to choose your cut. If you're a health-conscious eater, Mayo Clinic recommends choosing cuts that are graded either "Choice" or "Select" because they have less fat. Leaner cuts include eye of round roast and steak, sirloin tip side steak, top round roast and steak, bottom round roast and steak and top sirloin steak.

Other cuts, according to The Stay At Home Chef, include porterhouse and T-bone steaks, which are meaty on one side and tender on the other; ribeye, a fattier steak; New York strip steak, which is lean and contains little fat; top sirloin, a less expensive option and filet mignon, which is both tender and lean. If you're aiming to make your cut healthier, you can trim off fat or drain it with a colander.

Read more: How to Cook a Tender Steak on the Stove

Cooking steak and potatoes in the oven is a great idea because you can cook a complete meal at the same time with minimal cleanup. An article in Kitchn, says that cooking meat in foil is one of the easiest ways to ensure all your food is done at the same time and without using too many cooking tools. Combine steak with potatoes or steak with vegetables and wrap them in individual foil packets before heating. Kitchn recommends baking the meat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one and a half hours, though cooking temperature and times vary by recipe.

A recipe by Food., suggests:

1. Preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Placing the meat in enough aluminum foil to fully cover the meat and vegetables.
3. Adding toppings and other ingredients, such as potatoes and carrots.
4. Sealing the foil.
5. Baking for one to one and a half hours or until vegetables are soft.

Once the steak and vegetables are cooked, you can remove the foil packets from the oven and serve hot. There are several steak in the oven with foil combinations you can try: garlic steak and potatoes in foil, mushroom foil packet in the oven. The list of combinations goes on.

Read more: How to Cook Steak on a Baking Sheet

When it comes to cooking meat, FoodSafety.gov recommends a temperature no lower than 325 degrees F. A round or rump roast should be heated at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes per pound, while a tenderloin roast should be heated at 425 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. Generally, steak should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can measure temperature with a food thermometer before removing the food from its heat source, says USDA. It's best to wait at least three minutes before cutting into the meat and consuming.

Another USDA article, titled "Beef from Farm to Table," has a few safe storage tips, such as purchasing the product before the expiration date, keeping the beef in the package until using and following handling recommendations on the package. Steaks can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three to five days and in the freezer from six to 12 months.