Cooking the perfect juicy steak at home “like in a restaurant” is the cherished dream of many. However, after several unsuccessful experiments with preparing “rubber soles” instead of soft pink meat, it is so easy to despair and abandons this venture forever. But you just need to use the tips of the professionals and take into account all the subtleties.
- Choose seasoned meat
Many people mistakenly believe that steak meat must be fresh. However, this is not entirely true: for the steak to turn out soft and juicy, the meat must be matured. The fact is that the muscle in a piece taken straight after slaughter is not relaxed, and the steak will turn out to be tough.
- Focus on the slaughter date
When buying meat in a supermarket, be guided not by the date of packaging, but by the date of slaughter, which should also be indicated. The ideal steak comes from a piece that has been aged for more than 20-25 days after slaughter. You can also check the maturity of the meat by simply pressing a piece with your finger: if at first a dent formed, which then quickly returned to its place, then such a cut is suitable for cooking steak.
- Consider the type of future steak
The most popular types of steak cuts are filet mignon, t-bone, and ribeye. Choose meat in vacuum packaging or visit the butcher – there they will give you competent advice and help you make the right choice.
- Pay attention to the thickness
A good steak is made from pieces no thinner than 2.5 centimeters. And to prepare the perfect fillet mignon from the tenderloin, which is served in the form of “hemp”, pieces should be chosen with a thickness of 5 centimeters or more.
- Examine fiber and body fat
The thicker the muscle fibers on a piece of meat, the tougher the steak will end up. Our choice is thin, dense fibers. As for fat, what is the best way to buy meat with thin layers of white color, which will melt during cooking and give the steak juiciness and tenderness?
