Entertainment
23 October, 2020
Getting the perfect steak every time
Getting your steak just right is an art. You love a deep crisp crust, perfectly pink inside and still juicy as, but how do you do it? Let’s look at how to cook the perfect steak every time.
Room temperature is important
Take your steak out of the fridge at least 60 minutes prior to cooking, allowing it to come to room temperature. Having your steak at room temperature will avoid the issue of overcooked on the outside and still very undercooked inside.
Crank up the temperature
Steaks need to be seared on the outside. That crust that seals the flavour in and also allows for caramelisation to enhance the flavours.
So never use a low heat. This will stew the steak and also allow the steak to dry out from overcooking.
Get some serious heat into your pan and let the oil heat until almost smoking.
Leave it alone
Please don’t touch it, don’t prod or move it around and do not press down on the steak. You squeeze the juices out and you will dry it out. Let the streak rest in the pan, give it time to caramelise.
It’s all about timing Different cuts will take different times to cook. Meat with a bone (t-bone or rib-eye) will need to cook for slightly longer than a fillet or something thin like a skirt steak.
Avoid cuts reserved for slow-cooking, like chuck or blade. Get a chargrill piping hot – as in let it heat up for 10 minutes kind of piping hot. Alternatively make sure your bbq grill is preheated to high.
There is no point in rushing and having a grey steak. Dress your steak with olive oil and season. If you are not going crazy with rubs or marinades, then just a coating of extra virgin olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper will do the trick to season. If you do this ahead, don’t salt the meat and let it sit around for ages and this can toughen the meat.
Don’t overcrowd your cooking surface. Make sure there is enough surface area to keep hot – otherwise you will just end up simmering your steak and ending up with meat chewing gum.
For a 3-4cm thick steak, cook the steak for about 3 ½ minutes on one side turning once halfway about 90 degrees to gain maximum caramelisation.
Now you can flip and repeat. Your result will be medium-rare. Have a feel of the steak, the more you get familiar with the touch of a rare, medium and well done steak, the better cook you will become! Remember it’s a muscle, so if its firm to touch, you’ve gone too far. If it feels like a raw steak, well, you do the math.
Make sure you rest your steak for half as long as you cooked it, so about 4 minutes, lightly covered in foil.
This allows the juices to settle and the muscle fibres to relax, which ensures the steak is tender.
