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The fact that you are not a professional chef and you do not have a grill is not a reason to leave your loved one without juicy, tasty meat. We assure you that you can get the perfect steak even in a frying pan, if you remember our tips and apply them in practice.

First of all, let’s figure out what ingredients are needed for a classic steak:

  • meat (beef, cut into pieces no thicker or thinner 3-5 cm);
  • salt, pepper, spices;
  • oil (sunflower or olive)

Actually, this is all that is needed for a basic recipe that can be modified depending on your taste. At first glance, both the list of ingredients and the cooking process seem simple enough, but this is not at all the case. This is exactly the case when the devil is in the details.

  1. Defrosting meat

In no case should you defrost the meat in the microwave: as a result of this manipulation, the edges of it will begin to cook, and the middle will remain frozen. This will prevent you from controlling the process of roasting the steak. The best option is to place the meat in a vacuum package in cold water.

  1. Preparation

Sprinkle the meat with pepper around the entire perimeter (fatty beetroot), and then salt and add spices. Then – grease the steak with butter on all sides: this will contribute to better thermal conductivity, which will allow the middle to fry evenly around the edges. Do not under any circumstances beat the meat, otherwise, it will lose its structure and release all the juice.

  1. Cooking

Heat a skillet without oil over high heat and place the meat on one side. After two and a half minutes, turn the steak over and fry on the other side. Repeat the same manipulations one more time (on each side again for two and a half minutes). Juicy steak – ready. Tip: when roasting meat, take into account the desired degree of doneness.

How to choose good meat

On the market

  • The first thing you should pay attention to is the color of the meat. It should be deep red. The color may vary: fresh beef is just red, lamb is a little darker, pork is pink, veal is deep pink.
    Take a closer look at the color of fat and bones. Some unscrupulous sellers refresh stale meat by soaking it in a solution of potassium permanganate. In this case, the fat will be pinkish, and the bones will be yellow. Very yellow fat is a sign of an old animal. This meat will be tough and will take much longer to cook. Good young beef has white fat and crumbles, and fresh pork has white-pink elastic layers of fat.
  • Do not be afraid to taste the meat with your finger: it should spring back when pressed.
  • Another important nuance is the smell. If you even feel a subtle unpleasant scent, go to another seller. But there is a subtlety here: for example, the meat of non-castrated pigs can look and smell just perfect when raw, and when frying will give a terrible stench. Ask the butcher to cut a small piece and light it with a lighter. If it smells like barbecue, you can take it.

In the shop

  • In the store, the situation is different: in most cases, meat is now sold in vacuum packaging. The main thing is that it is not swollen.
    The piece of meat must be solid and of the correct thickness. For example, for ribeye, it is 2.5-3 centimeters.
  • After unpacking, the meat must be allowed to breathe for 15-20 minutes, and it is better to wrap it in parchment and leave it overnight: in the morning you will see a significant color difference.
  • But it is better not to buy ready-made meat in marinades – not the freshest pieces are most often used there.

Cooking

  • The steaks are best grilled on an open grill, but a grill pan will work at home.
  • Take the meat out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking and let it sit at room temperature.
  • For Medium roasting, first crust on both sides and then roast the meat for another 2-3 minutes on each side. You can turn it over every minute – so the juices are better distributed inside.
    If cooking in a skillet, add fresh thyme, rosemary, and garlic during frying, and at the very end add a lump of butter (3 x 3 cm).
  • Transfer the meat to a baking sheet with a wire rack and let it rest for 4-5 minutes. It is now that the meat can be salted.
  • Serve the steak with a light green salad or mint avocado, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil.

On the most masculine holiday, we reveal the secret of cooking the most brutal dish. Throwing the meat into a frying pan and serving it to the table in a couple of minutes is not all. We study the cooking technique with passion.

USEFUL TIPS

  1. The ideal steak thickness is 2-3 cm. This makes it easier to get into the desired roast;
  2. Large steaks can be put in the oven for 15-20 minutes without frying;
  3. If grilling, turn the steak so that the grill marks form a nice mesh;
  4. The taste of marbled beef is very bright, it is usually seasoned only with salt and pepper;
  5. Don’t use “heavy” side dishes. Fried meat is better absorbed when paired with salads and vegetables.
  6. Be sure to cut the finished steak across the fibers, so the meat will be much more tender.

HARMFUL TIPS

  1. Wash the meat before cooking. What if it’s dirty?
  2. Place the steak in the freezer after purchase. Probably, it will be better preserved this way.
  3. They say that beef is always tough, so be sure to beat or marinate the steak properly.
  4. The steak must be completely roasted so that the meat is dark gray. It seems like you can’t eat uncooked meat.
  5. It is best to cut in the middle of the steak to check the doneness.
  6. It is unlikely that the meat will lose its juiciness.
  7. Together with the steak, you need to buy ready-made sauce. Most likely, only with the sauce will the meat be tasty and juicy.

Get it out of your head that frying steaks are a special art that only men are born with. In fact, this is a clear scheme, completely obeying the female logic, which you just need to adhere to. And avoid mistakes that beginners often make. There are not so many fatal ones to count, the fingers of one hand are enough. So, bend your fingers.

  • The biggest nonsense is to beat a steak. This meat is meant to be fried as it is. By hammering it with a hammer, you lose all the juiciness and flavor, turning the steak into something incomprehensibly flabby.
  • Let the steak warm – after taking it out of the refrigerator, do not put it directly in the pan. Fibers of meat that are too cold will shrink during frying, condemning even the best piece of meat to stiffness. It is enough to hold the steak at room temperature for at least 20 minutes so that the meat does not experience shock when it comes into contact with the pan.
  • Remove excess moisture from the surface of the steak – otherwise, the meat will not be fried, but stewed in its own juice. To avoid this, simply wipe the steak dry with a paper towel.
  • Place the steak in a well-preheated skillet. Grease it with oil, put it on fire and wait 3-4 minutes, that’s enough. Inexperienced cooks shouldn’t heat the pan “to smoke”, as the pros often advise, why do we need a burnt crust of meat?
  • Finally, a bad idea is to start turning the meat with a fork. By piercing a piece, you release the juice from it, even though frying from all sides aims to seal all the juices inside the crust. So either get yourself some culinary tongs or get the hang of using a spatula masterly. But turning the meat with tongs, of course, is more convenient.

To make a delicious and juicy steak, you need to choose the right piece of meat. For meat, as for all products, quality is a decisive factor. Let’s figure out how to choose the right meat.

  1. Look at each steak carefully and thoroughly. If you want the steak to remain juicy and tender when grilled, there should be a lot of white or yellow grease in the meat part. It is such meat that is called marbled.
  2. Do not trim this desired fat from the steak. The fat helps keep the steak juicy and maintain its shape during cooking. It also improves the taste of meat. If you still want to trim excess fat, do so before serving.
  3. Correct meat flavor. The meat should smell like meat, and the aroma should be light and almost subtle. The stronger the smell, the less fresh the meat.
  4. The steak must be of the correct thickness for proper browning. A good steak should be at least 2.5 cm thick.
  5. Choose steaks based on their marbling. The lower the degree, the tougher the beef. Prime is the highest grade, most tender meat. The choice is medium and the selection is minimum and the toughest meat.
  6. Want a perfectly cooked steak – buy a meat and steak thermometer. There is nothing better than using a digital thermometer to instantly and easily know that the steak is ready. And no guesswork is needed.
  7. According to butchers, the best steak is Ribeye steak. From the point of view of tenderness, maximum juiciness, as well as rich aroma, this steak is ideal.

I hope now it will be easier for you to choose and prepare the most delicious steaks!

Frying a real steak is not an easy task. The chef shared the subtleties of the recipe: with this approach, the steak will certainly turn out to be juicy and very tasty.

  1. It’s worth starting with the choice of meat. The shoulder blade, neck and outer thigh of the hind leg do not fit. The edges should not be unnecessarily thin or thick.
  2. The ideal choice is tenderloin. This muscle is located under the ribs of the animal and almost does not move, the meat will be exactly soft and tender. A common mistake is not to peel the clippings before frying. This must be done, otherwise it will pull off the steak when frying.
  3. A thin piece of steak will not make the right steak. The height is not less than 2.5 centimeters, if you like to fry to the state of meat in the Tatar way, you can take a thicker one.
  4. When frying, rush will be in the way. You need to cook until medium rare. And when serving, it is customary to salt the meat already at ease – a steak is a dish of aesthetes.

To prepare a delicious juicy steak, you need two things – good meat and knowledge of a dozen nuances. We share the secrets of how to fry the most perfect steak.

  1. The steak should be no thinner than 2.5 cm. If you are preparing steaks from the tenderloin (filet mignon), cut it into pieces at least 5 cm thick.
  2. Before frying the steak, let the meat stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours. This will make it much easier for you to control the process and the degree of roasting.
  3. To grill the steaks, use a cast-iron ribbed grill pan that you heat until a light haze appears. Do not add oil to the pan to avoid smoke in the kitchen.
  4. The surface of the steaks must be perfectly dry. Use paper towels to dry the meat. And do not try to wash the steaks, you can only wipe them off.
  5. Just before placing the steaks in the pan, season them with salt and pepper on both sides and then begin to fry. Do not put more than two steaks in one pan, otherwise, the temperature inside the pan will drop sharply, and the meat will begin to stew in its own juice instead of frying, forming a golden-brown crust that reliably keeps all the meat juices inside the steak.
  6. Fry the steaks for 1.5-2.5 minutes on each side. If you want a nice mesh on each side, fry it for 1.5 minutes in a grooved grill pan, then turn it clockwise 90 degrees, fry for another 30-45 seconds, and then turn it over to the other side.
  7. Use tongs to turn the steaks only, and never with a fork, so that the juice does not leak out.
  8. Before flipping the steak to the other side, make sure that the first side is sufficiently browned and the steak is nicely colored. If the meat does not lag behind the pan, then the crust has not yet formed, and you need to give the steak some more time.
  9. When the steaks are fried on both sides, place them in a baking container, cover the container with foil, and place in an oven preheated to 190 degrees for 10-12 minutes (filet mignon 5 cm thick) or 7-8 minutes (ribeye/sirloin steaks). If you want more pronounced frying, you can for all 15 and 10 minutes, respectively.
  10. After this time, remove the steaks from the oven and, without removing the foil, let them “rest” for a minute, then boldly serve.

Is it possible to cook perfect steaks at home while being self-isolated? It is possible, and even necessary.

  1. Choose the fattest meat. Do not be afraid of white layers, they have all the taste. For example, striploin: is moderately fatty, has a rich meaty flavor, and is cheaper than a ribeye.
  2. After buying Dry Aged meat in a store, keep it in a vacuum or store package for another five days. The meat will then exactly “reach” the desired condition of softness. Do not be afraid if you have everything in order with the temperature in the refrigerator, nothing will happen to the meat.
  3. Remove the steaks an hour before cooking, cut 2.5-3 cm, cover with cling film, preferably gauze and let them reach room temperature.
  4. Take not a ribbed frying pan, but an ordinary solid one – heavy, cast iron, with a thick bottom, which holds and transmits heat well.
  5. If you have a regular electric stove (0-9), steaks should be cooked for 8. Heat a frying pan and pour butter: 50/50 oil and butter, quite a lot, 30 grams each. Next, put a sprig of thyme or rosemary, a couple of cloves, crushed by hand, garlic.
  6. Salt the steaks just before frying. Not in 10 minutes – we do not need marinated meat, we need the salt to react with the meat and give a perfect crust
  7. Put the steaks and add the temperature. Fry for 2 minutes on each side, uncovered. Otherwise, instead of steak, you will get a piece of stewed beef. If you want a higher degree of roasting, lower the temperature and increase the time, but in the end, still, give a boost for the crust.
  8. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes and you can serve. The perfect side dish is vegetables: broccoli, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms – anything!

Whether you are cooking marbled meat for the first time, or with regular consistency, read the answers to the questions in this section. You will definitely find something interesting for yourself.

Step 1. Remove the meat from the refrigerator a few hours before cooking and place it on an absorbent surface. The meat should warm up to room temperature so that it is evenly fried throughout the entire volume during cooking.

Step 2. If you are cooking a steak in a cast-iron skillet, put the pan on the fire and heat it well. If you prefer a steak more fried, then preheat the oven to a temperature of 200 ̊С, it is better if there is a grate in the oven. If you are grilling a steak, turn on the grill or light the coals and heat the grate well on which you will cook the steak.

Step 3. Brush the meat with a little oil, pepper and salt with coarse sea salt.

Step 4. Wipe the pan or grill rack with a waffle towel with a little oil, when the pan starts to “smoke” you can put the steak on the wire rack.

Step 5. Fry the steak on each side for 1.5-2 minutes, then place the steak on the edge, as if sealing it on all sides.

Step 6. If you are cooking a steak in a cast-iron skillet, while the steak is on the rib, add a little butter, crushed garlic, and a couple of thyme sprigs into the skillet. Dip the steak in boiling oil on each side.

Step 7. If you prefer less roast, then the steak can be removed from the pan or wire rack, but not immediately onto the plate. Let the meat rest for a few minutes, so that all the meat juice inside the steak is distributed throughout the entire volume.

Step 8. If you prefer the steak more cooked, then hold it on the wire rack for a few more minutes, turning it constantly so that it does not burn. If there is an oven, then place it in the oven for 4-6 minutes, then take it out and also let it rest.

Step 9. Then serve the steak on a plate, add salt and pepper and voila, the steak is ready!

To get a taste of the steak, forget about the sauce, at least for the first couple of slices. Add a little more salt. As a side dish for me, the best option is grilled vegetables. But anything can go with a steak, even pasta!

Steaks are in great demand in restaurants because for some reason everyone thinks that it is much more difficult to cook them at home than other dishes. In fact, it is not that difficult. It is enough just to know some subtleties and follow some tips.

By the way, these tips concern not only the cooking process itself but also the correct choice of meat. Any chef will tell you that the right choice of meat is 80% of success.

  1. For the steak to be tender, the meat must be aged. If you fry a fresh meat steak right after slaughtering, the steak will be tough. This is due to the fact that the muscle in the piece of meat is not relaxed. When you buy meat in a supermarket, look not at the date of packaging, but at the date of slaughter (it must also be indicated), count 20-25 days from it – this will be the date from which you can fry the steak. Of course, we are talking about pieces of meat in vacuum packaging – for example, marbled beef.
  2. The steak should be no thinner than 2.5 cm.If you are preparing steaks from the tenderloin (filet mignon), cut it into pieces at least 5 cm thick.
  3. Leave the meat at room temperature for two hours before frying the steak. This will make it much easier for you to control the process and the degree of roasting.
  4. To grill the steaks, use a cast iron ribbed grill pan that you heat until a light haze appears. Do not add oil to the pan. Firstly, this will make the steak “dry”, and secondly, this way you will avoid smoke in the kitchen.
  5. The surface of the steaks must be perfectly dry. Use paper towels to dry the meat. And do not try to wash the steaks! They can only be wiped off.
  6. Just before placing the steaks in the pan, season them with salt and pepper on both sides and then begin to fry. Don’t put more than two steaks in one pan. This will cause the temperature inside the pan to drop sharply, and the meat will begin to stew in its own juice instead of frying, forming a golden brown crust that reliably keeps all the meat juices inside the steak.
  7. Sear the steaks for 1.5-2.5 minutes on each side. If you want a nice mesh on each side, fry one side for 1.5 minutes in a grooved grill pan, then turn clockwise 90 degrees, fry for another 30–45 seconds, and then turn to the other side.
  8. Before turning the steak to the other side, make sure that the first side is sufficiently browned and the steak is beautifully colored. If the meat does not lag behind the pan, then the crust has not yet formed and you need to give the steak a little more time.
  9. Use tongs to turn steaks, never with a fork. The fork pierces the meat, causing all the juice to drain out.
  10. When the steaks are fried on both sides, place them in a baking container, cover the container with foil and place in an oven preheated to 190 degrees for 10-12 minutes (filet mignon 5 cm thick) or for 7-8 minutes (ribeye / striploin) … If you want a more pronounced frying, you can for all 15 and 10 minutes, respectively.
  11. After this time, take the steaks out of the oven and, without removing the foil, let them “rest” for a minute, then boldly serve.