A perfectly cooked steak is succulent, rich and luscious. It is a dish suitable for kings as well as for ordinary people. What's more, there are many different ways to cook a steak. You can grill it, cook it in a pan, or even in the oven. Cooking the perfect steak, however, is an art that not everyone masters, especially if you like it golden on the outside and pink on the inside. If you want to learn how to do it using different techniques, here's how.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Prepare the Steak
Step 1. Choose your cut of meat
When people say steak, what do they mean? Although it is impossible to identify a single cut of meat with steak, the selection is usually restricted to a few cuts. Choose the cut you prefer, taking into account flavor, juiciness and price:
- Florentine steak: it is a steak and a fillet separated by a bone in the shape of a "T". It is a very sought after steak, but the fact that it is very tender, because it is a cut of the loin of the cow, makes it a little expensive.
- Porterhouse: part sirloin and part strip steak, the porterhouse is very similar to steak on the bone, with a thin bone to separate the two cuts and to flavor the meat. The price is practically identical to the T-bone steak.
- Rib eye: the ribeye cut is obtained from the ribs ("rib" in English) of the beef, hence the name. It contains thick layers of fat in the meat, which gives it a silky texture and robust flavor.
- New York strip: this steak comes from the loin, an area of the cow whose muscles are rarely used and therefore particularly tender. While not a tender cut like ribeye, New York steak also contains large amounts of fat.
- Sirloin: Sirloin is a flavorful but expensive cut of meat that comes from the back of the beef, close to the bone-in and porterhouse area.
Step 2. Purchase a steak that is 4 to 5 cm tall
Why are tall steaks better than thin ones? Because it's nearly impossible to cook a thin steak so it's perfectly golden and crispy on the outside and pink and juicy on the inside. With a tall steak this balance is much easier to achieve. It is possible to split a 350g or 500g steak between two or more people, and doing so is always better than cooking two small steaks for two people.
Step 3. Add a marinade or sauce (optional)
Many steak lovers are horrified at the idea of adding anything other than salt and pepper to the meat. And for good reason: the meat is the strong point of the dish. But if you decide you want to marinate your steak, now is the time to do it. Here are some simple ideas for adding flavor to your meat.
- Marinade: 80ml soy sauce, 120ml olive oil, 80ml lemon juice, 60ml Worcestershire sauce, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup chopped basil, 1/4 cup parsley. Marinate for 4 - 24 hours before cooking.
- Brush Sauce: Four and a half teaspoons of kosher salt, 2 tablespoons of freshly ground pepper, two tablespoons of sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano leaves, 2 teaspoons of chopped cumin.
Step 4. Let the steak come to room temperature
If you kept the steak in the freezer or fridge while waiting for the right time to cook it, now is the time to take it out. Bringing the steak to room temperature will do two things:
- You will reduce the cooking time required. Hotter meat will cook faster.
- The cooking of the outside and inside of the steak will be more even. If the steak has been in the refrigerator one day, it will take longer for the internal temperature of the steak to rise. This means that you will risk searing or burning the outside of the steak to get the inside to medium.
Step 5. If you haven't used marinade or sauces, add salt
The larger the cut of meat, the more generous you need to be with the salt. Remember, a 500g T-bone steak contains twice the meat of a 250g ounce ribeye.
- Add salt before cooking. Although some people add salt up to 4 days in advance, it takes at least 40 minutes. You can salt your steak and wait 40 minutes until it has reached room temperature. Contrary to popular belief, salt does not create osmosis and displacement of juices: instead it facilitates superficial dehydration, which is extremely important for obtaining the crunchy crust.
- Why not pepper? Pepper can burn during cooking, while salt cannot. Burnt pepper doesn't taste good, so it's best to apply it after cooking.
Method 2 of 4: Grilling Your Steak
Step 1. For best results, use hardwood charcoal
You can use briquettes if you don't have coal available. Hardwood charcoal is very suitable because it burns quickly and at a high temperature, ensuring a better quality finished product. Of course, if you have a gas grill, you can use it. However, you will need to prepare for a meat with a different flavor.
Do not use accelerator to ignite coal! It would produce fumes that would alter the flavor of the meat. It is best to invest in a barbecue fireplace
Step 2. Arrange all the hot coals on one half of the grill
This will be the warm side of the grill. The other side will be the "cold" side (although it will still be at a high temperature). You will need to start cooking the meat on the cold side and then move on to the hot side. This way you will get perfectly cooked meat.
Step 3. Start cooking the meat on the cold side of the grill, where there is no charcoal
Cover the grill and allow the steak to cook slowly in indirect heat. This, in fact, goes against the more commonly used practice: many people try to sear the steak to be able to capture the flavor. This practice has no scientific basis.
If you start cooking your steak on the cold side of the grill, you'll give it enough time to warm up completely - and not just on the outside. Also, when the meat is almost cooked, it will have had time to get a nice crust. All you have to do to finish cooking is to quickly move it to the hot part of the grill
Step 4. Turn the steak often to get a crust on both sides
Use the pliers to do this about every minute. A myth about grilling is that steaks should only be turned once before being served. Conversely, steaks turned several times on the cold side of the grill will cook more evenly and will be juicier. When you are not turning the steak, remember to cover the grill.
Step 5. Use a thermometer to evaluate cooking
This is the best way to determine if a steak is ready or not. Don't rely on your own judgment alone, which can't be as accurate as a thermometer. Here is a table that matches the temperatures to the cooking of the steak:
- 48.8 ° C = rare
- 54.4 ° C = Medium - rare
- 60 ° C = Medium cooking
- 65.5 ° C = Medium - well done
- 71.1 ° C = Well done
Step 6. Alternatively, you can use the finger test to get a rough idea of the cooking
To do this you will need to touch the part of the palm under the thumb and compare it to the flesh. Open your hand and relax your palm. After each step, touch the inside of the palm with the other.
- The fingers do not touch at all (open palm): this is the feeling that raw meat gives.
- Thumb touching the index finger: the feeling of rare flesh.
- Thumb touching middle finger: the feel of average flesh - rare.
- Thumb touching ring finger: the feel of medium meat - well done.
- Thumb touching the little finger: the feeling of well-done meat.
Step 7. When the meat is at 52 ° C, keep it in indirect cooking (away from the heat source of the embers) for an hour to improve its juiciness
Then quickly sear it on both sides to give it its characteristic color and crust. If the meat is already golden, keep it on the cold side of the grill, as you will lose the juices by blanching it.
Step 8. Remove the steak from the grill about 3.5 ° C before the ideal temperature
Why do this? Because the steak will continue to cook for some time after you take it away from the heat source.
Step 9. Season with pepper and let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes
It is an urban legend that this resting phase is necessary to "reabsorb" the concentrated juices during cooking: the resting phase is necessary to allow the juices to regain density
Step 10. Enjoy the steak
Accompany your course with potatoes or spinach sautéed with garlic for example.
Method 3 of 4: Grilling Your Steak in the Oven
Step 1. Turn on the oven at a temperature of 52 °
Step 2. Place the steak on a wire rack or roasting pan, possibly pre-salted
Step 3. Place the steak inside the oven and cook it for the necessary time (monitor the temperature with a thermometer) until it reaches 52 ° at the heart of the meat
Step 4. No need to turn the steak
Step 5. After reaching 52 ° in the heart, keep the steak at that temperature for an hour
Step 6. There are no cooking times, the meat is cooked when it is cooked (too many factors affect the cooking of the meat, from the thickness to the maturation, from the initial temperature before grilling, to the device used for cooking):
use a thermometer
Step 7. Season with pepper and let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes
It is an urban legend that this resting phase is necessary to "reabsorb" the concentrated juices during cooking: the resting phase is necessary to allow the juices to regain density.
Step 8. Enjoy the steak
Serve it with green beans or baked potatoes.
Method 4 of 4: Pan-Sear Your Steak
Step 1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until a lot of smoke is produced
A cast iron skillet is ideal for conducting heat, and allows for even cooking.
Use neutral oil to cook the steak. Olive oil is great for pasta and eggplant, but not quite as good for steak. It is probably best to use canola oil or another vegetable oil
Step 2. Place the steak in the pan paying attention to the position if the pan has any ridges
Step 3. Turn the steak often, about every minute, until the desired core temperature is reached
For best results, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steak. Here is a table that matches the internal temperature to the cooking state:
- 48.8 ° C = rare
- 54.4 ° C = Medium - rare
- 60 ° C = Medium cooking
- 65.5 ° C = Medium - well done
- 71.1 ° C = Well done
Step 4. Before cooking is done, add two tablespoons of butter and other flavorings
Here are some flavors you can use for cooking in a pan:
- Rosemary
- thyme
- Marjoram
- Garlic
- Sage
Step 5. When the steak is cooked, let it rest for at least 10 minutes
It is an urban legend that this resting phase is necessary to "reabsorb" the concentrated juices during cooking: the resting phase is necessary to allow the juices to regain density
Step 6. Enjoy the steak
Serve it with a potato salad or some Brussels sprouts.
Advice
- Don't underestimate the importance of the dressing. A well seasoned steak with salt and pepper will not need any sauce.
- Use non-stick spray often.
- A clean grill is much more effective. Food cooks faster on a clean grill, and tastes better.
- Get a thermometer to monitor the core temperature of the steak (there are thermometers of all price ranges, including cheap ones). A steak is cooked when it reaches the desired temperature, there is no real cooking "time".
- Do not use a knife to make incisions in the meat and check its cooking, you would only make the steak unsightly and you would lose the juices of the cards; instead, it uses a thermometer to monitor the core temperature.
- Don't go looking for red, fat-free meat. It will inevitably be tough and inferior in flavor (if you want to make a steak). Looking for marbled and aged meat
- Beef tastes better and is more tender when it is matured ("aged"). Don't waste money buying low-quality meat that is always tough to chew, rather opt to eat one less steak in the same month but that is tender, juicy and flavorful. Quality has a cost, as in everything.
Warnings
- Never touch a hot grill with your hands.
- The non-stick spray will stoke the open flames. Keep your hair out when using it.
