How to cook a good steak

How to choose the meat for steak

1. Take only beef

In any case, remember: the steak has a right to be called a beef. No pork, lamb or chicken even more! This is a fundamental point.

2. Decide in advance what you want steak

If you think that "steak, he has a steak," you're wrong. There are about a dozen species of roasted meat. In principle, they can be divided into three groups:

• marble steaks. Are prepared from the so-called marbled meat: tender, soft, spotted by streaks of fat parts of the back and loin (thin and thick edges). To this kind of steaks are popular ribeye and striploin.

• lean steaks. Preparing mignon. Also differ tenderness, but due to the smaller amount of fat a little less calories. These include, for example, fillet mignon and chateaubriand.
• alternative steaks. Prepared from other parts of the beef carcass: blade, flank, and so on. These steaks are less fat and softness, rarely have the correct shape and may contain a tendon. They will soon come to fans of "real" meat, which can tear the teeth... to this type of steaks are flank, skert, top blade, and so on.

Just determine what taste and nutritional characteristics you need, go for the meat.

How to choose the right meat for steak →

3. Do not buy just beef flesh

Partly Repeat the previous step. Rigid rules: in order to get exactly the steak that you want, you should choose the meat of it is specific parts of carcasses. Skert steak - it's always the groin. Top blade - blade. Ribeye and striploin - back and loin. Filet mignon is produced only from the tenderest cut - and of nothing else!

4. not wise

If you are not an expert in the selection and cooking of meat, the best limit to classical, the most popular and easy to prepare kinds of steaks - marble (ribeye) and lean (filet mignon). Bonuses of the carcasses from which they are prepared to be quite edible, including an inexpensive meat.

But the alternative will be tasty steaks, only if they are prepared from a really good, seasoned meat bull meat breed, fattened with grain.

5. Check the quality of the meat prior to purchase

Meat for the ribeye steak should be soft and marble, that is distinguishable from the veins of fat.

meat quality for the filet mignon can be checked as follows. Firmly press down cutting finger: it should be easy to give in, but as soon as you remove your finger, quickly take the former form.

On the quality of the meat for other steaks are not going to say: a layman is difficult to determine the desired characteristics, so it is best to stay on the classics.

6. Frozen meat is permitted

But it is important to take only from reliable sellers, not to run into a "product of the second freshness" or on the wrong part of the carcass.

Please note, this option would require the competent defrosting. In no case do not defrost meat in the microwave or on the sun, the temperature jump would lead to the loss of the precious juice, and it will worsen the taste characteristics of the future of the steak.

Approximately one day prior to the planned lay frying beef from the freezer in the refrigerator main compartment. Since the meat is tender, but not lose succulence.

In general, it is possible and does not defrost meat.

How to prepare the meat for roasting

1. Sliced ​​meat perpendicular to grain

culinary experiments proveThat are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers Steak is a much more gentle. The ideal thickness of each piece - 2.5-4 cm.

2. Allow the meat to buy at room temperature

it important for future uniform roasting. If you have time, simply remove the meat from the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before cooking - and it will warm up on their own.

If no, the next steak wrap in plastic wrap and dip for 20-30 minutes in warm (30-35 ° C) water.

3. Or there is strictly contrary to the hot freeze

Sound original, but, as shown by experiment, the output is unexpectedly interesting result: very juicy steak with a soft pink heart.

The bottom line is that when defrosting meat loses some juice. And if it gets on a hot pan, frozen, then immediately covered with a crust, which fixes the juice inside.

4. Marinate only when necessary

Do not marinate, if you plan to cook a classic steak or tenderloin marbled meat - the same ribeye or filet mignon. Due to the softness and juiciness they are good in the natural - only with salt and pepper - a. The marinade can also kill the taste of the steak and add a certain viscosity.

Another thing, if you do decide to take the risk and to prepare an alternative steak. In this case, it is desirable to pickling, otherwise the meat output will be too hard. marinades there lot, Choose to your taste.

How to marinate the perfect steak →

5. Thoroughly dry the meat

Before frying the meat blot with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture from the surface. If you do not get rid of the fluid, the steak in the pan will soon be brewed, not fried.

To remove moisture for sure, you can sprinkle with raw meat with cornstarch.

And the way for perfectionists. Take a one-off form of foil, pierce it in several places wooden skewers (so that within the form you got the similarity of the lattice) and place on a wire rack that is wrapped in a paper napkin meat. Let stand up well in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. The ideal surface dryness guaranteed.

However, if you have a grill, you can do without shpazhek.

6. Let a little weather-beaten meat

Let rest on the air at least 20-30 minutes. During this time, the meat weathered edges and covered with a light crust that when frying will keep the juice inside the piece.

7. Do not add salt and peppers!

Of course, this recommendation is again the same applies to the classic premium steaks that are prepared without the marinade. Salt and pepper the meat better after cooking.

If you add salt during cooking steak, meat juices penetrate outwards. As a result, you get a harder, than they would a piece.

Then make a remark that many ignore this recommendation, since prefer this slightly harsh kind of meat. Experiment. In this case it is possible to rely on their own taste.

If we are talking about alternative steaks, they are worth or marinade, or salt, pepper and olive oil to grease the frying.

What more needs to be done before frying steak

1. Choose the right frying pan

A perfect choice - a pan-grill or conventional pan with a thick bottom (iron would be nice). Thick bottom of the pan ensures that after heating it for a long time will keep the temperature at a single point.

If at the bottom of the pan is thin, it quickly cools. This means that the meat is fried, but rather cooked in its own juice.

2. Consider the choice of oil

Oil adds fat meat (softness) and taste. What would you like? Some recommend to fry in olive oil, is closer to the final, adding a little butter.

others adviseFood Tips: How to Cook the Perfect Steak exotic - liquid peanut butter: it has a mild flavor, which will give the steak tenderness and originality.

However, if you cook a ribeye steak or marbled meat, more fat is not required. To you, but go to this point, consciously.

Another important point - the boiling point (fuming) oilSmoke point. If the fat smoke, it will give the steak a bad taste. Therefore, it makes sense to choose frying oils, boiling at elevated temperature.

For example, unrefined sunflower oil and linseed oil for cooking steaks not fit. They begin to smoke already at 107 ° C, while the temperature is well preheated pan - 150 ° C and above. Virgin olive oil (extra virgin) and unrefined peanut tolerate up to 160 ° C. Butter, coconut oil, refined sesame not smoke to 170 ° C.

Lovely embodiments - refined sunflower oil and avocado they emit smoke after 200 ° C.

3. Get a termoigloy or learn to live without it

The degree of roasting steak determined by the temperature inside a piece of meat. Its the easiest way to measure the thermometer needle.

Conventional roasting degree are as follows:

• 38 ° C and above - raw / blue (steak with blood);
• 48 ° C and above - rare (very weakly roasted);
• 52 ° C and above - medium rare (weakly roasted);
• 58 ° C and above - medium (normally fried);
• 63 ° C and above - medium well (well done);
• from 74 ° C - well done (very well done).

If the hand is not the needle, you can roughly determine the level of roasting, crushing the meat with your finger.

Steaks blue and rare to the touch are the same as muscle tissue at the base of thumb, press down her index finger of the other hand and feel the softness.

If you compress the tips of the thumb and index finger, arm napryazhotsya and base of the thumb to remind Rare steak medium rare. Large and medium - medium. Big and a ring - medium well.

But connecting the thumb and little finger, you will feel about the same pressure as when you press the steak well done.

How to cook a steak

1. Pre steak fry in the oven

this methodHow-To Reverse Sear A Steak providing the best uniform roasting without gray, overcooked meat on the edges.

Put the steak on a baking sheet and bake at a temperature of 90-95 ° C for 30-60 minutes - depending on how much fried steak you want to get to the exit.

If you want a steak with blood, the episode with the pre-roasting in the oven can be omitted.

By the way, in a similar way, you can restore the taste is already prepared, but cooled down and lie down for a steak. Put it in an oven at 120 ° C for about 30 minutes and then fry pan on both sides, to return the crispiness.

2. red-hot frying pan

Let it stand up to high heat for at least 8-10 minutes. Better - more. The chef of the restaurant Alinea in Chicago, for example, recommends12 Unexpected (But Totally Legit) Tricks For Making The Best Steak heat the cast iron pan for half an hour!

Then add the butter, wait a few minutes until it warms up, and only then to lay out the steak.

3. Fry Steak at high temperature

1.5-2 minutes, depending on the desired crust color on each side. During frying protein - primarily on the surface of a piece of meat - it collapses and turns into a kind of film which blocks the liquid outlet. This means that fried steak over high heat will remain juicy inside.

Only then reduce heat to a small, meat, cover with a lid and let stand for 1-5 minutes more - depending on the desired degree of toasting. This recommendation concerns the steaks fatty and juicy marbled meat.

Willingness to check termoigloy or finger. Cut or pierce the steak knife is not: Meat spilled juice.

If we are talking about a lean steak cuts, technology will have nuances. How to fry a steak on both sides until golden brown, add to the pan a little oil (to eg butter), and - on request - favorite spices (garlic the same) and herbs (rosemary, lavender, thyme, sage…). Reduce heat to medium and continue to fry the meat on both sides, it is isolated by pouring the juice. So steak acquire proper roasting.

4. Adjusted to the desired degree of toasting in the oven

To cover the pan lid perfectly prepared steaks with the degree of roasting until medium rare. If you want to get really fried steak, put it in a preheated 180 ° C oven immediately after fry on all sides in oil.

The residence time of meat in the oven depends on the desired level of toasting:

• medium rare - 4 minutes is sufficient;
• medium - 7 minutes;
• medium well - 10 minutes;
• well done - 14 minutes.

How and with what serves steaks

1. Let the steak soak for 3-5 minutes

At high temperatures, the upper layers of meat are compressed within the locking juice. If you cut the steak immediately, juice just spilled on the plate. Wait up to 5 minutes: it is enough that the upper layers of meat and widened too were filled with juice.

2. Serve hot!

This is one of the basic rules of a steak feed. In this case, the meat - a separate dish, simple and clear. To taste it opened more fully, the steak should be hot.

3. For fat juicy steaks, choose a minimum of spices

At the same rib eye is enough to put a sprig of rosemary or garlic cloves: hot meat quickly absorb the flavor. Also good steak flavor characteristics emphasize the parsley, thyme, cilantro.

4. Lean steaks need sauce

Tenderloin, from which filet mignon cooked - very tender meat, literally melting in the mouth. But at the same time it is quite tasteless, but because this steak is always served with a sauce.

10 hot sauces for all tastes →

5. Best side dish - Vegetables

Fresh or grilled. This is perfect side dish to steak from the perspective of proper nutrition.

15 unusual vegetable salads →

see also

• How to fry a delicious barbecue. Chef reveals the secrets →
• What to cook on the grill: 15 simple and delicious recipes →
• Meat dishes for true gourmets →