Steak (Cooking Tips)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steak is a cut of beef sliced perpendicular to the muscle fibers. There are various cuts of beef that could be used to make steak such as Ribeye, sirloin, T-bone and filet mignon, to mention a few. Steak can also refer to other cuts of meat and fish like Salmon Steak. Steak can be roasted, pan fried or boiled. Everyone loves a good moist steak and luckily, this is easy to achieve. Below are a few points on how to make the perfect steak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Choose Your Cut. The cut of beef you use for your steak will often determine how soft it is and your mode of preparation. If you can afford it, go for ribeye cuts that are properly marbled as these produce the best steaks. Hey if you are lucky to find Kobe beef, I say yes please! Whatever cut you choose, the key is not to overcook it as overcooking will make even the best cuts of steak tough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) Choose Your Spices. Quiet as its kept, in cooking steak you need salt and black pepper and nothing else. Using various spices for your steak will mess with it’s integrity. If you can, salt your steak up to 24 hours before you intend to cook it and leave in the fridge. This will improve the taste of your steak. Remember to take the steak out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking so it comes down to room temperature. Cooking a cold steak will mess up with its temperature. Other herbs and spices that go well with steak are garlic and fresh thyme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Choose Your Cooking Method. Steaks are most commonly grilled or pan fried. Pan fried steaks, in my opinion, have the best flavour and consistency. If pan frying, choose heavy bottomed pans such as cast iron pans for even heat distribution. Your pan must be very hot so as to sear the steak and not boil it. You want to hear a sizzle when you place the steak in the pan. Use the sides of your pan to your advantage by tilting the pan when frying the steak to sear sides. Note: Cooking steaks is a smokey affair. Be prepared to set off your fire alarm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) Choose Your Fat. While you can fry steak in butter, butter has a low burning point. Olive oil is always a better alternative. What I usually do is start with olive oil and finish with butter. Other oils can also be used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5) Choose Your Temperature. Steak can be cooked at various temperatures. They can be made blue, rare, medium rare, medium, medium well or well done. The choice of temperature depends on how you like your steak. I prefer mine medium rare or medium. To achieve this on a 1 inch thick steak, I fry on one side for 5 minutes, and 4 minutes on the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose Your Side. Steaks go well with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. You can also serve them with other sauteed or grilled vegetables. To turn your steak dinner into a surf and turf, serve steak with your choice of seafood. You can also serve some compound butter on your steak. Learn how to make compound butter here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Cook the Perfect Steak:

(a) Salt and pepper steak 24 hours before cooking time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(b) Take steak out of fridge 30 mins before frying.

(c) Heat olive oil in cast iron pan until very hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(d) Place steak in pan and cook for 5 mins (depending on thickness of steak) on one side, lifting with a tong half way through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(e) Add some butter, crushed garlic and fresh thyme to steak while it is frying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(f) Tilt pan to side to cook sides of steak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(g) Turn steak with tongs and cook other side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(h) Take steak out if pan and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All this talk about steak is making me hungry! All the best with your next steak dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some steak recipes like Grilled Steak, Steak au Poivre and Salmon Steak, Click here, here and here.