When it comes to cooking steak, everyone has an opinion and they all think they are right. You will get into verbal battles over things such as what cut of meat is better, or maybe how well done you should cook it. At the end of the day, it’s all subjective. As long as you have a nice cut from the butchers, you will have quality meat. Now, what it comes down to when trying to make the perfect steak is how you prepare and actually cook the meat. Steak is one of the most flavourful cuts of meat. The best way to capitalise on a steak is to know how to optimise the flavour and release the essences.
Preparing Your Steak
There are many different ways to approach cooking your steak. Starting off with little touches will make subtle differences you will never have noticed before.
Take the meat out the fridge about an hour before cooking and get it to room temperature before the cook is always advised. Frying from cold makes it harder for the heat to penetrate the centre of the meat.
Make sure your pan is super hot before you even add the meat to it. To make that delicious crust you find on all restaurant quality steaks, you will need to caramelize the meat.
Now seasoning your steak will bring your meat to the next level. As flavourful as steak is, without seasoning it, you will never crack the full potential of the meat. Cover the meat with olive oil and a good amount of salt and pepper.
Cooking the Steak
Now to get the perfect texture to the meat, you will want to cook it medium to medium rare. Cook for six minutes and turn on every minute. After the six minutes try a few different tricks to add some punch to the steak.
Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub across the steak with each turn. Looking for a sweeter taste? Rub a knob of butter on the meat whilst you cook the steak. More woody herbs like thyme or rosemary will compliment the steak – attach the herb to a wooden spoon and rub against the meat every minute or so to heighten the flavour.
After the Cooking
Just because it looks good enough to eat doesn’t mean you should jump the gun and tuck in right away. Remove the meat from the frying pan and place it in a bowl for two minutes. Let the meat rest in the juices and the flavour blends with all the tasty extras you added. Remove the meat out of the juices and carve into it with a sharp knife and pour the juices over the meat. Now serve it with a number of sides.
The British classic is to serve it with some really chunky chips so you have something to mop up all the juices that will run off the steak, making sure you don’t miss out on any of that delicious flavour. Steak is known to pair well with green vegetables, such as broccoli and asparagus and for anyone trying to bring the restaurant atmosphere to their own dining room, splash out on a fine red wine.
Experimenting with herbs and seasoning allows you to bring the natural flavours out of your meat. Take your food to the next level with some simple alterations to the way you prepare and cook your meat. Steaks will always be one of the finest meals but you will only reach the tip of the iceberg without proper preparation skills.
