At least 40 minutes and up to 2 hours before cooking, season all sides of the 4 strip steaks evenly with 2–3 tsp kosher salt and 2 tsp freshly ground pepper. Place the steaks on a tray or plate and refrigerate uncovered until ready to cook.

When ready to cook, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and pat both sides dry with paper towels.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat until very hot. Add 3 tbsp olive oil (use more only if using an extra-large skillet) and heat until the oil shimmers.

Add the steaks to the hot skillet, leaving space between them, and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes to form a crust.

Flip each steak, immediately reduce the heat to low, and place one crushed or lightly smashed clove of the 4 cloves fresh garlic on top of each steak (on the cooked side).

Divide the 2 tbsp butter into four portions and place one portion on top of each steak. Sprinkle the 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves evenly over the steaks.

Cover the skillet with a lid and cook 5–10 minutes more, until the steaks reach your desired level of doneness (use an instant-read thermometer if available). Before removing the pan from the heat, spoon the melted butter and pan juices over the tops of the steaks to baste.

Transfer the steaks to a plate, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.