A rare hero admits that clothes as a gift are not exactly what he dreams of on his only men’s holiday. But what – at least as a “warm-up” before the main present – no real man will definitely refuse, is a juicy meat steak.

1. Classification of steaks

According to the most popular classification, meat is divided into 3 types: marble steaks are steaks from a thick or thin edge (Ribeye, Striploin, New York), lean steaks from tenderloin (Mignon, Chateaubriand), and alternative steaks such as Machete, Tibon steak, Tomahawk. At home, you can cook almost any kind, the main thing is to be patient and understand the cooking technology of each.

2. How to choose meat for this or that type of steak

The main mistake of those who want to get an appetizing steak at home is excessive savings on meat. A regular fillet of beef for cooking Ribeye, Chateaubriand, or any other type of steak you choose is not at all suitable, it will turn out to be very tough. It is better to buy marbled meat steaks from trusted butchers or take vacuum packaging with ready-made chopped steaks. If you take a cut of beef to cut the steaks yourself, opt for the most popular ones – Ribeye and Mignon.

The quality of meat for a Minion can be checked in the following way: a finger falls into a good cut, and after you remove it, the flesh quickly recovers. Rib-eye steak meat should be fairly marbled and soft, with streaks of fat. It is much more difficult to choose a quality Top Blade and not to confuse it with the stiffer part of the shoulder blade. It will be difficult for a layman to define quality, so it is better to stick to the classics.

3. Is it possible to cook from frozen meat

You can also cook frozen meat steaks. The main thing is the correct defrosting process. The meat must be put from the freezer into the refrigerator a day before cooking so that the defrosting is soft and delicate. Then there will be no heat stress for the meat, which leads to a large loss of precious juice. Defrosting meat in the refrigerator will leave all the juice inside – and the steak will be soft and tasty.

4. How to fry a steak at home and how to choose a frying pan

Frying a steak is most convenient in a grill pan or a regular skillet with a very thick bottom. The thick bottom of the pan ensures that after heating it does not lose its temperature and will keep it at the same mark for a sufficient amount of time. If the pan has a thin bottom, it cools down quickly, and the meat is not fried, but boiled in its own juice.

5. How to prepare meat for frying

It is necessary to get the meat out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before frying and let it reach room temperature. If you do decide to cook an alternative steak, you need to marinate it (we’ll talk about this a little later). Half an hour before cooking, the meat must be freed from the film so that the tenderloin is slightly weathered around the edges and the meat is covered with a light crust, which during frying will help keep all the juices inside the steak.

Salt and pepper the meat only after cooking! On this, I would like to focus special attention. Salting the meat before or during frying will help the juices flow out, which can make the meat tough.

6. Steak cooking technology

For the preparation of marbled steaks (Ribeye, Striploin, New York), you need to use a minimum amount of oil, giving preference to olive oil. The cooking technology is quite simple. Place the meat in a well-heated frying pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, then reduce the heat to low, cover the steak with a lid and let it stand for another 1-2 minutes. Please note that the longer we leave the steak covered, the higher the degree of doneness will be. For marbled steaks, medium to medium-well roast is best. At the end of cooking, you can add garlic, rosemary, thyme, or chili pepper.

Lean tenderloin steaks (Mignon, Chateaubriand) are prepared using the same technology, but with a lot of oil. After we fry the steak on both sides and it acquires a golden crust, add butter to the pan and reduce the temperature to medium. We continue to fry the meat in a mixture of butter and olive oil, constantly pouring it with the juice that comes out of the steak itself. This will give the steak the right roast.

Alternative steaks (Machete, Tibon, Tamaghawk) must be marinated in herbs in advance. To make the meat softer, you can add a little mineral water to the marinade. For alternative steaks, medium doneness is better. It is not recommended to consume this type of steak with blood.

7. How to determine the degree of doneness

Do not forget to control the degree of doneness! To determine it, it is better to use a thermal needle. Each degree of roast has its own ideal temperature: Rare – 40-43 degrees, Medium Rare – 44-46, Medium – 47-50, Medium Well – 55-57, Well Done – 60 and above. If you do not have a thermal needle at hand, you can try to determine the degree by touching with your finger. If the steak is too soft, it is not cooked enough, the meat is still raw. If the steak is dense, then the roast is high. You should not cut the meat to check readiness, as the juice will immediately flow out of the meat.

8. Spices and sauces for steaks

The more laconic the spices on the steak sound, the better. Therefore, do not use more than 2-3 spices at a time. Rosemary, garlic, and in rare cases – thyme are ideal for steak. To convey the aroma of these spices to the dish, it is enough to put a sprig of rosemary or a clove of garlic on a ready-made steak, the meat itself will take on their rich aroma.

There are many sauces with which it is proposed to complement the taste of the steak, for example, a sauce based on fresh herbs. To prepare it, you need to take 20 grams of fresh parsley and cilantro, half a head of garlic, chop them finely and finely with a knife until they form a gruel, add a little black pepper, salt, and chili, and pour over with olive oil. It makes a wonderful sauce that goes well with any steak.

Another quick and delicious sauce is French. If you want to make it, take your time to remove the pan in which the meat was fried. Remove the meat, put the pan on medium heat, add a little red wine, butter, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Cook the sauce over medium heat to the desired consistency. You can add not only wine and spices but also cream, interesting Asian sauces like Teriyaki – here you can give free rein to your imagination!

9. Side dishes for steak

In this matter, everything, of course, depends on the person – who likes what more. But from the point of view of physiology and proper nutrition, it is better to eat the steak along with fresh or fried vegetables. Grilled vegetables or red fresh tomatoes with onions and herbs are the most ideal options.

10. Serving and serving

One of the main rules of a perfect meal: steak should be served immediately. Steak is an independent dish, simple and straightforward. You should not invent an original serving, the main thing is the unsurpassed taste of the steak itself.

Enjoy your meal!

Prepare the same steak as in a restaurant? Easily. The meat tenderloin will turn out to be wonderful in taste and appetizing in appearance if you learn these simple rules. And an open fire with a grate can be replaced with a frying pan.

• Secret # 1: you need the meat of a young bull, not a cow. For this steak, only bull meat is used. Not cows! Moreover, the animal must not be older than 20 months. Such meat is distinguished by its special juiciness and taste. And in its raw form, it looks a little dry, liquid should not flow out of it. The shade is deep red. If you touch it, the effect of a silky-smooth surface will appear. An important nuance: the meat for the steak should be matured, slightly rest in a cool room. Ideally dried. Fresh meat, only after slaughter, is not suitable for a steak – the dish can come out tough. Even marbled meat!
• Secret number 2: marbled meat is desirable, but not at all necessary. It is commonly believed that the most delicious steaks are made from marbled meat – VIP steaks, elite, gourmet cuisine. Thanks to the intramuscular fat, such meat looks like a marble pattern, and after frying the fat it gives a unique taste. Not all meat breeds of bulls are “capable” of this. In Russia, this is Hereford, Aberdeen Angus, which sellers can proudly tell you about.
• Secret number 3: Choosing the right piece. A steak is essentially a piece of meat that has been fried in a pan or over a fire. But meat is different from meat. Depending on the type of meat, steaks are divided into classic and alternative. The classic is carved from the dorsal or lumbar part of the bull. Each has its own name, usually, it is on the price tag. The main ones: ribeye, aka “cowboy”, club, tailbone – on a T-shaped bone, porterhouse, aka double steak, striploin, aka “New York”, and mignon. Each has its own flavor, color, and even juiciness. To choose the perfect one, you will have to try each one! However, they are all good.
• Secret number 4: choosing a pan with a thick bottom. A modern grooved beauty or grandma’s cast-iron punt is not the point. The main thing is the thick bottom because it accumulates heat and even gives it to the steak. Alternative steaks are marinated in red wine, soy sauce, tomato pulp, onion, or pineapple juice for at least half an hour before being sent to the fire. Then the meat should be dried with cooking napkins. Necessarily! It should come dry into the pan.
• Secret number 5: fry without unnecessary spices. The taste of a classic steak is formed by two spices: salt and black ground pepper. But if there is a craving for experimentation, you can add little caraway seeds and pink pepper. The pepper must be freshly ground. In the case of alternative steaks, add it when the meat is dry after marinade.
• Secret number 6: choose the degree of doneness. As you know, there are no comrades to taste. Therefore, steak masters use different degrees of roasting of meat, there are only four types of them. Knowing them will come in handy when communicating with a waiter in a restaurant. And for home cooking, it is important to know the temperature inside the finished piece. You will have to regulate it with a kitchen thermometer or experimentally. Depending on the degree of doneness, cook the steak for three to nine minutes.
• Secret # 7: fry in butter. Frying steak oil is the source of the flavor. It is customary to fry steaks in butter, the taste is softer. To make the steak as close as possible to the “live” taste of meat, you need to fry in odorless vegetable oil, especially if you like Too Well Done – a deep-fried steak without juice when the temperature inside reaches 100 ° C. This heat will burn the butter and ruin the steak.

The alpha and omega of an appetizing grill, especially meat, is a good marinade, i.e. combining the right ingredients in the right amount with the right preparation method. So, you definitely need to master this secret of a successful grill:

1. There are many recipes for marinades, but most importantly, they include 3 main ingredients: acid, fat, and spices.
2. Larger pieces of meat are best to cut into smaller pieces before marinating. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will marinate.
3. It may take as little as 30 minutes to marinate the meat, but feel free to marinate longer for a better taste. The longer the meat is marinated, the more flavorful it becomes.
4. Marinating overnight will help to increase the tenderness of beef.
5. To prevent the chick from becoming tough on break, try not to marinate it. Marinating can not only make the chicken tough, but it can also take away the flavor.
6. How much marinade to take? – About 2 cups for every kilogram of meat. So try to cook enough to completely saturate the meat you are about to cook.
7. Always refrigerate meat while marinating.
8. A plastic container or plastic bag can greatly reduce the hassle of preparing meat. Sealing in a zippered plastic bag can reduce the amount of marinade needed to prepare your barbecue.
9. Sprinkle fat on the meat during the last 10 minutes of grilling to reveal the flavor. Avoid contaminating your meat with fresh marinade.