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Despite the wide selection of pans and ovens, you can only grill a steak with a unique campfire aroma. Flawless meat has its own secrets: the right choice of cuts, a good recipe, and many small nuances of cooking. We will gladly open them for you.

  1. The claim that salt makes a steak tough is rooted in not knowing when to salt meat. Dip it in salt and pepper just before going to the grill. If you do this in advance, the salt will wash out all the juice from the meat, and it will become dry. Timely application of spices will help create a crispy crust and a distinct flavor.
  2. To get a good crust, you also need to remember: the meat is turned over once during frying.
  3. Make sure that the fire does not come into direct contact with the meat. Otherwise, the fat will char, and carcinogens will begin to be produced in it.
  4. Do not cut or pierce the steak to find out what stage of cooking it is. It is checked by pressing the piece with your finger. If it quickly takes its former shape, the meat is raw or lightly cooked. If slow, medium. And if it regains its shape, the steak is overcooked.
  5. The intense heat will quickly give the meat a ruddy color and crust. Preheat the grill before grilling on all burners for 5 minutes.
  6. Marinate and put the meat on the wire rack with your hands. And to turn the pieces – with forceps with silicone tips. The fork will make holes in the steak, through which the precious juice will flow out.
  7. Remember that meat will still cook after removing it from the wire rack. Due to the redistribution of the juice, the temperature inside will even rise. Do not cut the piece right away, but leave it to condition on a warm plate for 5 minutes or wrap it in foil.
  8. Food photography tip: melted butter or olive oil will add juiciness and shine to the dish.

Someone thinks that a steak is too expensive, and a simple stew is more economical, someone thinks that a good steak cannot be cooked at home. But in reality, meat lovers will pay much more for a restaurant steak than for a homemade one. Although they could easily cook the same in their own kitchen.

  1. Which meat to choose from? Of course, only high-quality, fresh chilled meat should be chosen for the steak. And certainly beef. We cook steak at home, that is, in a pan. For these purposes, ribeye is suitable, it has a large amount of thin fat layers, so it will turn out better in a pan than all other steaks.
  2. Preparation. It is best to fry warm meat, at room temperature. This is easy to arrange if you are not in a hurry – 2 hours before cooking, remove the meat from the refrigerator, close it with something so that it does not get weather – the path heats up. But if you come home from work and you need to fry the meat now? Then it can be wrapped in cling film, but only tightly enough and in several layers. And put in warm (about 50 ° C) water. For half an hour. The meat will heat up while you wash your hands and ask the children if they have done their homework. Second point. Do not cook moist meat. Dry it with a paper towel before cooking. Otherwise, the meat may develop an unpleasant odor.
  3. Thickness. It all depends on personal taste and the degree of roast that you prefer. If you like lightly roasted meat, then you can cut the steaks about 4 cm thick. If the roasting is supposed to be more serious, then you can make the steaks thinner, about 3 cm thick. But it must be borne in mind that you did not get thinly sliced meat will not be juicy, so less than 2.5 cm thick is no longer a steak.
  4. Salt and spices. It is often not recommended to salt the meat until the end of its cooking. Because of salt, the meat loses its juiciness. But this point of view also has a downside. After the meat has been fried, you cannot salt it so that the seasonings are evenly distributed over the piece. And that’s a big loss for the steak. Therefore, it is best to rub the meat with salt and spices and leave to lie down for 5-7 minutes. This will help the seasoning spread evenly. And the meat, by the way, will be fried more evenly. For meat, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper are ideal. Perhaps nothing else is required.
  5. Fat for frying. Steaks are usually fried in a dry skillet. But you can grease a piece of meat with a drop of odorless oil before frying. This will give it a shine, help in crust formation, and prevent the meat from drying out. The second option: drip a little olive (refined) oil and a few drops of lemon juice on the meat. The aroma will be extraordinary.
  6. Scent. The oil can give the meat a great flavor. For example, you can add it in the middle of frying, when a firm crust has formed on the meat. A slice of butter mixed with minced garlic will make the steak simply unforgettable. Attention: after you put the oil in the pan, you do not need to fry for a long time so that the oil and garlic do not start burning.
  7. Temperature. First, we heat the frying pan on the fire. Very much. If you carry your hand over it at a distance of 15 cm, then strong heat should be felt. With such a strong heat, the meat will immediately grab a crust and may even char a little. Just a little bit, just to give off a nice roasted flavor. After the steak is in the skillet and you have formed a crust, you can lower the temperature. Medium fire will be just right.
  8. Be sure to turn over. The more often you turn the meat, the juicier it becomes. That is, you cannot fry the meat on one side, then on the other and it will calm down. First, you need to form a crust. To do this, fry the meat for a minute over high heat, pressing the meat to the pan with a spatula. Then you can reduce the heat a little and fry the meat for 6-8 minutes, turning it over every minute. If you want a steak with blood, almost soggy inside, then turn it over even more often. That is, first form a crust, and then twirl the steak in a pan every half a minute. It will turn out juicy and hardly fried. The frying time should be shortened slightly. But remember that it depends on the thickness of the meat too.
  9. Finally, when the steak is fried, let it rest for 5 minutes. And only then garnish with mustard, vegetables, or something else.

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.

Most steaks are grilled very quickly – literally in minutes. It is important to use this time correctly, but it is equally important to consider that the dish begins to cook even before it reaches the wire rack. Therefore, everything in order. Here’s how a Weber chef advises making your steaks taste even better.

  1. SALT THE STEAKS ON TIME
    You may have heard the warning not to salt meat long before grilling because salt can draw out juices. It indeed draws out moisture, but within 20-30 minutes, this is good, because the salt begins to dissolve in a small amount of moisture. When the steak hits the hot grill, the sugars and proteins of the meat juice combine with salt and other seasonings to create that very aromatic crust. But if the meat loses a lot of moisture, it will affect the taste and aroma for the worse.
  2. LET THE REFRIGERATOR MEAT STAND
    What kind of steak do we want when we grill it? Juicy and crispy, perfect toasted, right? But if you put the cold steak on the wire rack, it will take longer than usual to cook to the desired degree, and the meat inside can become overcooked and become gray and dry. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling – then the core will cook faster and the steaks will remain juicy.
  3. ROY MEAT – IT IMPROVES THE TASTE
    It is a good habit for barbecue masters to fry steaks at high temperatures, such as the Weber Sear Grate GBS grill. Pros understand that roasting gives hundreds of flavors and aromas to the surface of the steak, so let the meat sizzle indirect heat until the surface turns dark brown. Don’t let anyone convince you that roasting “traps the juices inside.” This is just a myth. But she really makes the steaks tastier.
  4. MOVE THICK STEAKS TO INDIRECT HEAT
    Most steaks cook excellently indirect, high heat, and only need to be moved when there is a burst of flame. However, some steaks can be so thick that if left on direct heat they will burn on the outside faster than they will cook on the inside to the desired degree. Therefore, if your steaks are thicker than 2.5 cm, then use the indirect method. After you have cooked both sides well in direct high heat, move the steaks to the indirect heat zone and finish cooking there.
  5. GET THE MOMENT OF READY
    Since steaks are fried over high heat, they quickly lose moisture. This is the price we pay for delicious meat. Perhaps the most important step in cooking a steak is to remove it from the heat before the meat loses too much moisture. As a rule, in just 1-2 minutes, the degree of doneness changes from medium-rare to medium, or from medium to medium-well. To get into this window, you need to be careful. Don’t go too far while your steaks are grilling. And remember that it is better to take them off undercooked and then return to the grill than overcooking.

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.

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!

Meat is the most common food cooked and eaten in all countries. But how to make sure that the meat is not dry, or how not to forget about it and then not be content with “coal”? What is better to serve as a side dish and what sauce to season?

  1. Always cook meat at room temperature – let it rest for an hour after the refrigerator, then the meat will be juicier and the roasting will be more predictable.
  2. The dishes are simple: a frying pan or a grill – it doesn’t matter. This also does not affect the taste. But it is still very important – the dishes must be heavy enough so that the pan can gain maximum energy and heat. If we use a very light frying pan, then it keeps little heat and as a result, when we spread the steak, it loses its power very quickly, and we get low-quality frying: the meat can give juice, and then we get not a fried steak, but its likeness!
  3. Heat the pan: the first smoke from the pan will be the signal for cooking. If you have one, you can proceed.
  4. Well-cooked meat goes well with a sauce based on ripe tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro. As a side dish, we offer boiled basmati rice with butter and a salad of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes with fragrant cilantro, red onion, and olive oil. Also, potatoes fried with onions go well with meat.
  5. But everyone’s favorite side dish for meat is vegetables fried over an open fire: eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, and bell peppers.

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!

There are certain subtleties that relate to the choice of meat and various culinary methods of toasting, the knowledge of which will help in mastering this virtuoso art. So, let’s try to cook meat steak at home!

  1. The most important rule of steak cooking is choosing the right meat. Initially, steaks were prepared from beef, so if they say “steak”, then they mean exactly a dish of beef. For other meat, clarification is required, so in this case, they write pork, chicken, salmon steak, and so on. But true steak connoisseurs argue that steaks made from any meat other than beef are not steaks.
  2. They say that the most delicious steaks are obtained from slightly dried meat. The most important thing is that the meat is not steamed, otherwise, the steak will turn out to be tough, and its taste, which is just provided by fermentation, will not be so rich and rich.
  3. The meat should be removed from the refrigerator about an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. This is necessary to evenly grill the steak.
  4. You can quickly and deliciously cook a steak in the oven, the Josper charcoal grill oven, on an open grill, and on a grill pan in which the meat does not burn and acquires an appetizing pattern.
  5. Some cooks mix the two oils for the best result, but steaks are ideal in ghee that does not burn and is mild in flavor.
  6. The main rule for preparing a steak is that at first it is fried very quickly in a hot pan until crusty, and then it is brought to readiness over a slower heat.
  7. The fact is that the protein curls up under the influence of high temperature and does not allow the juice to flow out of the meat.
  8. Before frying, some cooks dry the steak for an hour in the oven at a temperature of 60 ° C, since the dried meat instantly gives a dense golden brown crust when frying. If you neglect this rule, the steak will be dry and tough.
  9. When doing this, do not forget to fry the sides of the steak as well, holding it for convenience with meat tongs.
  10. A steak covered with a dense crust on all sides will cook well and remain juicy. This is one of the main steak cooking tricks.
  11. Do not overdo it with the fire and do not bring the pan to the point that it starts to smoke, because if the steak burns, you will not be able to continue frying, and it will turn out raw.
  12. An important secret of steak preparation is to give it a “rest” and recover from intense frying. To do this, place a piece of butter on the steak, cover it loosely with foil and leave for 10 minutes. The longer the steak “rests”, the tastier, more aromatic, and tender it will turn out.

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.