Cooking beef steak. Beef steak in a frying pan, or how to cook beef steak. What to take

Now many people mistakenly call a steak a whole fried piece of meat. In fact, a real steak is a whole algorithm of actions that allows you to truly enjoy the original meat dish. This is a piece of meat that is cut across the grain and fried on a grill or frying pan. Steak meat is suitable for those areas of the carcass where the muscles were not actively used to move the animal. Of a whole animal carcass, no more than 10% is suitable for preparing steaks, and this is the main reason for the high cost of the dish.

Today, in the culinary world, steaks are prepared from fish, veal, pork and other types of meat, but beef is still considered a classic dish. A perfectly cooked steak can be a difficult task even for an experienced chef, as sometimes the meat comes out dry and tough, burning on the outside before the inside has had time to cook. To prevent this from happening, and to ensure that the dish turns out correct and truly tasty, you should know some subtleties.

For steak, you should choose beef tenderloin from a mature animal, but not old or young. The meat should be red or dark red in color, but not pink or burgundy. It is advisable to choose parts of the carcass that have less tendons and powerful muscles, with fat evenly distributed throughout the piece.
You can determine the softness of a steak with your finger by pressing on the raw meat - the finger easily sinks, leaving a deep hole, which, after pressing, returns to its original position. If this happens, it means the meat is good. If the hole does not straighten out, the meat is not fresh enough, and if it is difficult to press on it, the steak will be tough.
For a tasty steak, the meat should be properly prepared - remove the film and the upper tendons. Cut the piece not too thin, and at least 7 cm long. Otherwise, the meat will lose moisture, shrink and become dry. Then, in the center of the piece of the side where the fibers are located along, an incision is made to the middle of the thickness, and the meat is opened “butterfly”.
The steak is marinated for 12 to 48 hours, and before going to the fire, it is well dried with a paper towel. The traditional marinade mixture is: vegetable oil, soy sauce, wine vinegar, salt and seasonings.
The frozen stack is defrosted in the refrigerator for 12–14 hours. Afterwards, wipe it dry and leave it for 20 minutes before marinating, so that it warms up to room temperature. It is not recommended to defrost steak in the microwave. Since the top layers of meat are already starting to cook in defrost mode, the middle remains cold. Subsequently, it will be difficult to obtain uniform roasting. Also, it is not recommended to defrost meat at room temperature and in warm water.
Meat is fried exclusively in a well-heated heavy frying pan or grill pan. At the same time, the pan should not smoke, otherwise the steak will burn on the outside, but the inside will not have time to cook, which will make it tough. During frying, the protein quickly coagulates on the surface of the piece and prevents the liquid from escaping, so the steak is first fried over high heat for 1 minute on each side. This will “seal” the fibers and the meat will retain its juices, which means the steak will be juicy and soft. Next, the dish is brought to the desired degree of frying at a lower temperature.
The finished meat should be left to sit for a while. During this time, the juice will be distributed inside the piece, the temperature inside and outside will equalize, and the steak will become warm, tender and juicy everywhere.
Serve the steak on warm plates so that it does not cool down so quickly. To use, you will need sharp knives without serrations so that you can cut the meat evenly.

How to fry beef steak?

Making the perfect steak is not difficult, if, of course, you know some rules and follow certain subtleties.

When buying meat in a supermarket, pay attention not only to the date of packaging, but also to the date of slaughter; it should always be indicated. Count 20–25 days from there, which will be the date from which you can start frying the steak.
It is advisable not to wash the steaks, but to wipe them with a paper towel until completely dry.
Do not place more than 2 pieces in one frying pan, otherwise the temperature of the frying pan will drop sharply. The meat will begin to secrete juice, in which it will stew, and then the golden brown crust will not turn out.
Use meat tongs rather than a fork to turn the steaks, otherwise the juices will leak out.
If the meat cannot be turned over, and it does not lag behind the pan, then a crust has not formed. Then the steak needs to fry a little more time.
Another important tip: do not beat steak meat, otherwise it will lose all its juices and structure.

How long to fry a beef steak?

The degree of frying of steaks can be varied to suit your taste, increasing or decreasing their cooking time. According to the American classification system, there are 5 degrees of doneness. Here are examples of the approximate cooking time for a steak 2.5 cm thick. For pieces of greater thickness, the cooking time must be increased, and vice versa.

Very rare (raw) - a piece can only be simmered on each side for 10–15 seconds.
Rare (with blood) - cooked on each side for 1–2 minutes, then allowed to rest for 6–8 minutes.
Medium rare (low-done) - cook on each side for 2–2.5 minutes, rest for 5 minutes.
Medium (medium rare) - cook on each side for 3 minutes, rest for 4 minutes.
Well done (done) - cook on each side for 4.5–5 minutes, rest for 1 minute.

It will also be helpful to sear the edges of the steak by briefly holding them on the sides when you first turn them over. This can be done conveniently with special tongs designed for meat. Also, different degrees of doneness require certain types of meat. To fry from medium rare to medium well, you need fatty steaks, from rare to medium - with a low fat content (for example, filet mignon). It is worth noting that the most accurate way to determine the degree of roasting of meat is to use a thermometer, which will allow you to achieve the ideal consistency and taste of the steak. An electronic thermometer will pierce the surface slightly and indicate the meat's doneness temperature.

Rare (with blood) = 120° F (48.8° C)
Medium rare =130° F (54.4° C)
Medium = 140° F (60° C)
Medium well (almost done) = 150°F (65.5°C)
Well done = 160° F (71.1° C)

4 Beef Steak Recipes

And now that we are familiar with all the cooking rules, let's cook a delicious steak at home.

1. Beef steak recipe in a frying pan

Calorie content per 100 g - 190 kcal.
Number of servings - 2
Cooking time - 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Selected beef steak - 2 pcs.
Salt and pepper - to taste
Spices “French herbs” - 1 tsp. and at will

Preparation:

Coat the perimeter of the meat with medium-ground pepper and moderately salt.
Generously coat the steaks with the spices using your hands and rub them into the meat using patting movements.
Grease the prepared steak on both sides with vegetable oil.
Pour oil into a cast iron skillet and heat well.
Place the steak in the pan and cook for 1 minute, then quickly turn over and cook for another 1 minute.
Then, turn the piece over again and fry until desired doneness.

2. Recipe for cooking steak on a ribbed grill pan

Well, now, let's cook a steak with a beautiful “mesh” at home on a ribbed grill pan.

Ingredients:

Beef steak (portioned pieces without bone, 3–5 cm thick) - 2 pcs.
Salt and pepper - to taste

Step-by-step preparation:

Rub the steak pieces on both sides with a mixture of salt and pepper.
Heat a cast iron ribbed grill pan until lightly smoking without adding oil.
Place the steaks in the pan and fry for 1.5 minutes. Then turn 90 degrees clockwise and fry for another 30 seconds.
Then turn it over to the other side and do the same procedure.
Place the fried steaks in a baking container, wrap them in foil and place in an oven preheated to 190°C for 10–12 minutes. If you want them to be more cooked, let them sit for 15 minutes.
After this time, remove the steaks from the oven and, without removing the foil, leave them on. minutes.

3. How to cook beef steak?

Contrary to loud ridicule from the mouths of “professional” chefs: they say that it is impossible to cook a tasty and tender beef steak in a frying pan at home - we will prove the opposite.

Ingredients:

Steak 2.5 cm - 1 pc.
Salt, pepper - to taste
Kitchen fat - for frying
Butter - 2 tbsp.

Preparation:

Salt the steaks and leave for 40 minutes to bring them to room temperature. The salt will draw moisture to the surface, where it will settle in puddles. During this time, the salt will soften the meat, break up the protein, and the salt will begin to be absorbed back into the steak. This technique will make the meat tender and juicy.
Place cooking fat in a well-heated frying pan and let it smoke a little.
Place the steak, fry it on both sides for 1 minute and season with pepper.
Afterwards, bring it to the degree you want to get.
1 minute before the end of cooking, place 2 tbsp in the pan. butter, it will infuse the steak with a rich flavor.
Once the pan is 2°C short of the desired temperature, remove the pan from the heat and allow the steak to rest. During this time it will reach the desired temperature, because... will continue to cook with the hot pan turned off.

4. How to make juicy beef steak

Despite the popular belief that frying a steak is a very difficult task that requires some skill, it’s not that scary. You can make it quite tasty, you just need a good recipe.

Ingredients:

Beef pulp - 500 g
Vegetable oil - for frying
Salt and black pepper - to taste

Step-by-step preparation of a juicy steak:

Prepare the beef - strip it of film, wash it and pat dry with a paper towel.
Cut the meat into steaks across the grain, 2–3 cm thick.
Rub the pieces with pepper, coat with vegetable oil and leave for an hour.
Heat a frying pan over high heat and add the meat.
Fry the steaks for 30 seconds on one side, then on the other. Next, turn the meat over again, turn the temperature to medium and fry for another 4 minutes. Then flip again and fry for the same amount of time.
Remove the pan from the stove, cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes.

I've been cooking steaks for many years, from a wide variety of meats, and I daresay I do it well. In this article, I decided to collect all my experience, which will allow you to achieve perfection in cooking steaks. And feel free to follow the links—they'll take you to other articles that cover various aspects of grilling and serving steak, like cooking the meat or making steak sauces.

How to cook a perfect steak

Cooking a perfect steak can be a challenge even for a skilled chef: small pieces of meat can cook too quickly, becoming dry and tough, too large pieces can burn on the outside without being cooked through on the inside. If you're new to cooking steak, I recommend using a heavy skillet or grill pan—a charcoal or electric grill is also great for steaks, but a skillet will be easier to control the temperature.

Step 1 - Prepare the Steak

Cooking a steak starts with choosing meat from a store or butcher shop. As a rule, imported beef is used for steaks, and although high-quality steaks from Russian beef have recently begun to appear, foreign terminology is still used to classify cuts of meat. The easiest way to practice frying steaks is on steaks. ribeye And striploin, also known as New York (in our classification, these cuts more or less correspond to thick and thin edges) - they are soft in themselves, and will turn out tasty, even if you miss the mark a little.

Pay attention to the so-called marbling of meat: fat should be distributed as evenly as possible throughout the meat, then during cooking of the steak these inclusions of fat will melt, making the meat more tasty and juicy. Classic steak thickness - 2.5 centimeters, and if you buy meat already sliced, make sure that the steaks are of the correct thickness, but if you take a large piece, try on how you will cut it. So let's get started.

If the steak was frozen, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and pat dry.
Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before grilling to allow it time to come to room temperature.
Brush both sides of the steaks with vegetable oil (I use olive oil, but you can use any unflavoured vegetable oil instead) and season generously with salt.

See also:

Step 2 - Heat the pan

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking (if the skillet is too hot, the steak will burn on the outside before the inside is cooked, resulting in a tough steak).
The sizzling sound you hear after you place the steaks in the pan will let you know if it has reached the desired temperature.
Another way to check the heating of a frying pan is to drop a little water on it: if you have heated the frying pan well, the droplet will form an elastic ball that will run across the surface of the frying pan like crazy.

Step 3 - Cook to taste

For medium rare, place the steaks in the pan without touching and let them cook for 1 minute.
Carefully turn the steaks over with tongs (be careful not to damage them to prevent any juices from escaping) and cook for 1 minute more to form a crust.
Turn the steaks over again and reduce the heat to medium. Fry for 2 minutes, turn over, and cook for another 2 minutes.
To test for doneness, gently press the steak with your fingertip. The rare steak should be soft and pliable, well-done and firm, and the medium steak, as it should be, will be something in between.

Steak cooking time

You can vary the steaks to your taste by increasing or decreasing the cooking time. The following is an approximate time for a 2.5cm thick steak. Thicker steaks require longer cooking times and vice versa.

Rare (with blood) - 1-2 minutes on each side, let rest for 6-8 minutes;
Medium rare (low-done) - 2-2.5 minutes on each side, let rest for 5 minutes;
Medium (medium roast) - 3 minutes on each side, let rest for 4 minutes;
Well done (well done) - 4.5 minutes on each side, let rest for 1 minute.

However, the most accurate (though not always accessible to a beginner) way to determine the degree of doneness of a steak is to use a meat thermometer.

Step 5 - Serve Steaks

Steaks require sharp, non-serrated knives to cut the meat smoothly.
Serve steaks on hot plates to prevent them from cooling as quickly.
It is believed that good meat does not need sauce - and if you agree with this statement, simply pour the juices that have mixed with the melted butter at the bottom of the pan over the steak.
Choosing a side dish for steak is a personal choice; I prefer a green salad.

The question of how to cook beef steak has arisen for everyone who has tried this perfectly prepared dish at least once. Steak - so much taste in this one word: thin fried crust, juicy flesh when cut, impeccable meat texture, an explosion of taste and sensations that melt on the tongue. The main thing in this dish is high-quality meat and proper preparation, and it does not matter at all whether it is prepared in a restaurant or not.

It is at home that you can cook your ideal steak - with the right degree of frying with your favorite seasonings and sauce, just the way you like it most. Having studied a few simple recipes and practiced, you can soon amaze your guests with seemingly incredible culinary skills. A man who knows how to cook a steak gets 100 points ahead from any lady who appreciates the taste of real meat.

If your lady is not a vegetarian, why not surprise her with a romantic dinner, the signature dish of which will be a super steak?

Choice of meat and roasting

Steak is the general name of a category of food, literally it is roasted piece of beef from a strictly defined cut. To prepare steaks, cuts of beef from different parts of the carcass are used, and each type has its own characteristics, taking into account the texture of the meat fibers and the presence of fat.

The most tender type of steak is filet mignon, it is prepared from beef tenderloin, which has virtually no fat. The tenderloin is cut into pieces of 7-8 cm, and due to its size, such a steak requires careful cooking in the oven so that the meat is not cold inside, but also does not lose its juiciness.
Ribeye can be called the largest and juiciest type of steak. due to the texture of meat and the ratio of muscle and fat fibers. It is by this meat that you can best determine the marbling of beef.
Those who love a pronounced beef taste and want to enjoy it to the fullest should choose striploin– an unusual taste is guaranteed due to the greater thickness of the meat fibers than in other parts of the carcass.
Porterhouse– steak on the bone, which separates 2 types of meat: tenderloin and striploin. The contrast of meat fibers allows you to experience all the richness of taste and fully enjoy the dish.
T-bone- the same porterhouse, but cut closer to the front of the carcass, and therefore with a lower percentage of fillet. You could say this is a less expensive option.

These are not all types of cuts used, but the most common. Another criterion when choosing meat before cooking beef steak at home is origin of the bull. To get an excellent steak, it is not at all necessary to cook American (Argentine), Australian or Japanese meat - you can be quite satisfied with domestic beef of meat breeds, the main thing is that the carcass is young and the bull is fed according to breed standards.

It is best to buy meat already cut into portions, but if you happen to grab a whole piece of carcass, you can cut it yourself. It is better to cut the meat into pieces 3-3.5 cm thick, no less, and if we are talking about tenderloin, then no thinner than 4 cm, but preferably 7-8. The correct thickness will not only ensure even cooking, but will also allow you to experience the full flavor of the different textures of the meat.

Before cooking, you also need to decide what degree of roasting you prefer.:

Blue – for lovers of raw beef: crust on the outside, practically raw meat on the inside, only warm – t = from 38°C.
Rare – lightly done, the meat can no longer be called raw, t = from 48°C.
Medium Rare is what is usually called a steak with blood, although in fact it is not blood at all, you should not be afraid of it. t = from 53°C.
Medium – medium doneness, almost no pink inside, t = from 59°C.
Medium Well – deep roast, t = from 65°C.
Well Done is fully fried meat, which is a crime for a steak in the opinion of chefs, gourmets and simply connoisseurs. t = from 72°C.

It will be difficult for a beginner who has never tried to cook a steak to judge doneness by eye, so it is better to use a proven method and either determine cooking by tenderness or a laser thermometer that measures the temperature in the thickness of the meat, which is more reliable.

Steak in a frying pan

First of all, you need to choose a frying pan, preferably a grill pan with a grooved surface. It can be cast iron or with a non-stick coating - this is not so important, but it is better if the frying pan is thick-walled- this way the heat will spread more evenly.

This recipe is a simple illustration of how to cook beef steak in a frying pan quickly and without much fuss. Meat should be at room temperature before cooking, for which it must be removed from the refrigerator at least half an hour before cooking. This also contributes to more efficient heat transfer: the meat will not have time to cool the pan and the frying process will begin immediately. The steak pan should be very hot, but not smoking.

Ingredients for 1 person:

striploin steak – 0.35 kg
vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.
butter – 1 tsp.
sea salt - to taste
thyme or rosemary - a few sprigs

There is no need to marinate the meat; you can cook it right away. Take a large plate and pour vegetable oil into it - it can be olive, sunflower, rapeseed or other. Sprinkle salt on top - it is better to use coarse sea salt, and lay out the meat.

Dip the meat in oil on both sides so that a thin film of oil forms, and heat the pan for a couple of minutes. Without adding oil to the pan, place the steak in it and fry for one and a half minutes on each side.

Frying the steak on the fat side is a feature of the striploin; the fat gives it a special taste and aroma. Then continue cooking - medium 3 minutes for doneness, 10 minutes for well done, but we wouldn’t recommend it.

At the end of cooking, put a piece of butter on the steak and place sprigs of herbs (you can use dried ones). While tilting the pan, pour melted butter over the steak and cook in this mode for another 2 minutes.

That's it, you can serve the meat on a warm plate, but first let it rest for at least 4 minutes, only then cut it.

Beef Wellington

Wellington is a stunning steak, and if you want to surprise your lady with your culinary skills, be sure to try this dish!

The famous steak is the signature dish of the famous British chef Gordon Ramsay. After reading how to cook beef steak in the oven, it may seem that the recipe is complicated and confusing, but in fact even a beginner can handle it, the main thing is to follow the instructions.

Ingredients for one:

piece of beef tenderloin – 350 g
Parma ham – 7 slices, you can use bacon
English mustard - 1 tbsp. l.
champignons – 200 g
egg yolk – 1 pc.
ready puff pastry – 250 g
pinch of flour
vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.
pinch of sea salt
some freshly ground black pepper or a mixture of peppers

Puree the mushrooms in a blender or food processor (you can simply chop them finely with a knife) and evaporate the liquid in a hot frying pan. Stirring constantly, cook for 6 minutes, then transfer to a plate and let cool.

Heat the oil in a frying pan - it is better to use olive oil - fry the meat on all sides for 30 seconds on each side. Before frying, season the meat with salt and pepper, and then coat thoroughly with mustard.

Spread a film or bag on the table, lay out slices of ham close to each other, spread mushroom puree on them, place the meat on top. Wrap the roll around the meat and put it in the refrigerator directly in the film for half an hour.

Dust the table with flour and roll out a layer of defrosted puff pastry. Place the meatloaf in the middle, after removing the film from it. Brush the dough around the meat with yolk and roll it up, pinch the edges, turn the seam down and also brush the top with yolk. When wrapping, do not forget to cut off excess dough. Place the finished roll in the refrigerator for a quarter of an hour.

While the roll is in the refrigerator, heat the oven to 200°C. Take out the roll and carefully cut it on top with a knife, then put it in the oven for 20 minutes. After this period, reduce the temperature by 20°C and leave the meat to bake for another 15 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the cooked steak and let it rest for another 15 minutes before slicing before serving.

Grilled steak

Try cooking a steak on the grill - the result will not disappoint even the most fastidious gourmets

The recipe is for those who have a grill - classic or electric. It prepares quickly, and the result is truly impressive!

Ingredients:

T-Bone steak – 1 piece, 300-350 g
vegetable oil – 1 tsp.
salt - to taste

You will also need a pinch of spices such as paprika, turmeric, black and cayenne peppers, coriander, garlic and onion powder. If possible, it is better to take freshly ground spices - they have a much richer aroma and taste!

Prepare the meat - mix all the spices and salt and rub the steak on all sides with this mixture, leave in this form for no more than 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the grill - high, but not smoking, and grease with oil. The grill should be set to high direct heat.

Fry the steak on each side for 3-4 minutes, depending on the desired degree of doneness, but do not overcook it - it is better to cook this meat to a maximum of Medium. First fry each side for a minute, then use the lid.

After cooking, let the steak rest a little - 5 minutes on a warm plate, and you are ready to serve. You can garnish this meat with a vegetable salad or vegetables cooked on the same grill.

Steak with smoke

There are so many recipes that it’s difficult to say how to properly cook a beef steak, but what is certain is that the most correct option is always smoky, that is cooked over an open fire. In the absence of a grill or, as the Americans say, barbecue, steak can be cooked with no less success on a regular classic grill using a grill.

Ingredients:

ribeye steak – 350-400 g, about 4 cm thick
olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.
a pinch of salt and pepper or a mixture of peppers
sprig of fresh rosemary

Pour olive oil into a small bowl and place the meat there so that the oil envelops the piece on all sides. Add rosemary, but under no circumstances add salt, otherwise all the juice will come out of the beef. Leave it like this for 10 hours, turning it over every few hours.

Before cooking, take the meat out in advance to allow it to come to room temperature, then use salt and pepper. Meanwhile, light the coals and heat up the grill. Steaks cook quickly, so you don't have to wait for the coals to burn through, but at the same time, you don't want to let the fire touch the meat.

Grease the grill with the same oil that the beef was in and place the steaks. If there is more than one piece, then it is necessary that they are not too close to each other - the distance should be at least 2 cm. Rosemary must be removed from the meat so that it does not burn, it is better to throw it on the coals - this will give aroma.

Cook the meat for 3-4 minutes on each side; to get a beautiful lattice pattern, you need to quickly transfer the meat into the grill. It is better to check readiness with a thermometer, knowing that 4 minutes of total frying is medium doneness.

After cooking, remove the steak from the grill, transfer to a plate and cover with foil or a lid for 15 minutes. That’s it, you’re ready to serve!

Get ready and enjoy your meal!

Another simple and accessible steak recipe for everyone - watch the video

If you are thinking about buying your man another jumper, shirt, or, worse, socks for February 23, forget about it. It’s a rare hero who admits that clothes as a gift are not exactly what he dreams of on his only men’s holiday. But what no real man would definitely refuse, at least as a “warm-up” before the main presentation, is a juicy meat steak. HELLO.RU decided to find out how to cook the perfect steak at home from the chef of the Tarantino restaurant, Viktor Apasiev.

1. Classification of steaks

According to the most popular classification, meat is divided into 3 types: marble steaks- these are steaks from thick or thin edge (Ribeye, Striploin, New York), lean- fillet steaks (Mignon, Chateaubriand) and alternative steaks, such as steak Machete, T-bone, Tamahawk. You can prepare almost any type at home, the main thing is to be patient and understand the cooking technology for each.

2. How to choose meat for a particular type of steak

The main mistake of those who want to get an appetizing steak at home is excessive savings on meat. Regular beef fillet is not at all suitable for preparing Ribeye, Chateaubriand or other type of steak you have chosen; it will turn out very tough. It is better to buy marbled steaks from trusted butchers or take vacuum packages with ready-cut steaks. If you take a cut of beef to cut steaks yourself, choose the most popular ones - these are Ribeye and Mignon.

The quality of meat for Minion can be checked in the following way: a finger falls into a good tenderloin, and after you remove it, the flesh quickly recovers. The meat for a rib-eye steak should be quite marbled and soft, with streaks of fat. It is much more difficult to choose a high-quality Top Blade and not confuse it with the stiffer part of the blade. It will be difficult for a non-professional to determine quality, so it is better to stick to the classics.

3. Is it possible to cook from frozen meat?

You can also cook steaks from frozen meat. The main thing is the correct defrosting process. The meat must be put out of the freezer into the refrigerator a day before cooking, so that defrosting occurs gently and delicately. Then there will be no high temperature stress for the meat, which leads to a large loss of precious juice. If the meat is defrosted in the refrigerator, all the juice will remain inside - and the steak will be soft and tasty.

4. How to fry steak at home and how to choose a frying pan

It is most convenient to fry steak on a grill pan or a regular frying pan with a very thick bottom. The thick bottom of the pan ensures that after heating it does not lose its temperature and will keep it at one level for a sufficient amount of time. If the bottom of the pan is thin, it cools quickly, and the meat is not fried, but cooked in its own juices.

5. How to prepare meat for frying

You need to take the meat out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before frying and let it come to room temperature. If you do decide to cook an alternative steak, you need to marinate it (we'll talk about this a little later). Half an hour before cooking, the meat must be freed from the film so that the tenderloin is slightly chapped around the edges and the meat is covered with a light crust, which during frying will help retain all the juices inside the steak.

It is permissible to salt and pepper the meat only after cooking! I would like to focus special attention on this. If you salt the meat before or during grilling, it will allow the juices to seep out, which can cause the meat to become tough.

6. Steak cooking technology

To prepare marbled steaks (Ribeye, Striploin, New York), you need to use a minimal amount of oil, preferring olive oil. The cooking technology is quite simple. Place the meat in a well-heated frying pan and fry on each side for 2-3 minutes, then reduce the heat to low, cover the steak with a lid and let it stand for another 1-2 minutes. Please note that the longer we keep the steak covered, the higher the degree of doneness will be. For marbled steaks, medium roasting is best, turning into medium well. At the end of cooking, you can add garlic, rosemary, thyme or chilli pepper.

Steaks from lean tenderloin (Mignon, Chateaubriand) are prepared using the same technology, but with a large amount of oil. After we fry the steak on both sides and it acquires a golden crust, you need to add butter to the pan and reduce the temperature to medium. We continue to fry the meat in a mixture of butter and olive oil, constantly pouring it with the juice that comes out of the steak itself. This will ensure the steak is cooked properly.

T-bone steak

Alternative steaks (Machete, T-bone, Tamahawk) need to be marinated in herbs in advance. To make the meat softer, you can add a little mineral water to the marinade. For alternative steaks, medium is the best doneness. It is not recommended to eat this type of steak with blood.

7. How to determine the degree of doneness

Don't forget to control the degree of frying! To determine it, it is better to use a thermal needle. Each degree of roasting has its own ideal temperature: Rare - 40-43 degrees, Medium Rare - 44-46, Medium - 47-50, Medium Well - 55-57, Well Done - 60 and above. If you don’t have a thermal needle at hand, you can try to determine the degree by touch with your finger. If the steak is too soft, it means it is not cooked enough and the meat is still raw. If the steak is dense, it means it is cooked well. You should not cut the meat to check its doneness, as the juice will immediately leak out of the meat.

8. Spices and sauces for steaks

The more laconic the spices on the steak are, the better. Therefore, do not use more than 2-3 spices at a time. Ideal for steak are rosemary, garlic, and in rare cases, thyme. To convey the aroma of these spices to the dish, just put a sprig of rosemary or a clove of garlic on the already prepared steak; the meat itself will take on their rich aroma.

There are many sauces that are proposed to complement the taste of steak, for example, a sauce based on fresh herbs. To prepare it, you need to take 20 grams of fresh parsley and cilantro, half a head of garlic, chop them finely with a knife until a paste forms, add a little black pepper, salt and chili pepper and pour in olive oil. This makes a wonderful sauce that goes well with any steak.

Another quick-to-prepare and very tasty sauce is French. If you want to make it, do not rush to remove the pan in which the meat was fried. Remove the meat and place the frying pan over medium heat, add a little red wine, butter, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cook the sauce over medium heat until the desired consistency. You can add not only wine and spices, but also cream, interesting Asian sauces like Teriyaki - here you can give free rein to your imagination!

9. Side dishes for steak

In this matter, everything, of course, depends on the person - who likes what more. But from the point of view of physiology and proper nutrition, it is better to eat steak along with fresh or fried vegetables. Grilled vegetables or red fresh tomatoes with onions and herbs are the most ideal option.

10. Serving and serving

One of the main rules of a perfect meal: steak must be served immediately. Steak is an independent dish, simple and straightforward. There is no need to invent an original presentation, the main thing is the unsurpassed taste of the steak itself.

Bon appetit!

Content:

F. Engels once said that a person could not become a person without meat food. May vegetarians forgive us, but it’s hard to argue with this. Meat is a supplier of the most important nutrients necessary for the normal functioning of the human body, first of all, complete protein, richer in essential amino acids than plant proteins, which, moreover, is easier to digest and contributes to a more complete absorption of plant proteins. Meat contains much-needed minerals and vitamins. For example, vitamin B, the deficiency of which leads to serious diseases, is found only in meat and other animal products.

Today we will talk not just about meat, but about ideal meat, about how to cook beef steak.

Steak is one of the oldest dishes, the recipe for which was suggested by nature itself. We won’t go into too much detail about the history of the origin of steak, especially since it is full of legends, ranging from sacrifice rituals in Ancient Rome to the inclusion of steak in American culture. One thing remains an indisputable truth: after thousands of years, steak has become a kind of cult, starting from the choice of meat and ending with its serving. Steak is not an everyday food. The recipe for cooking steak requires special conditions, and, no less important, a special atmosphere. Steak is often confused with an ordinary chop or French cut, mistakenly believing that it is an ordinary piece of meat fried over an open fire or in a frying pan.

What’s easier is to take a piece of meat and fry a beef steak. But only at first glance, preparing this dish seems like a simple task. The recipe is really not that complicated. But it's not that simple. We will tell you how to properly cook steak at home, armed with a few rules. What is needed to make the perfect beef steak - tasty, aromatic and juicy?

So, the first thing is the right meat.

The favorite steak is beef steak, ideally from young bulls. The classic recipe involves using meat from Hereford or Agnus bulls. However, the taste of the future steak depends not only or not so much on the breed, but on the method of fattening the animals - grass-fed or grain-fed. Since the grain is rich in protein, this food promotes the formation of thin layers of fat in the muscle fibers. This type of meat is also called marbled meat. It is more tender, although less flavorful, than meat from grass-fed animals.

Steak, translated from English, sounds like “tenderloin,” that is, it is a fairly thick piece of meat (a portioned piece should be at least 3 cm thick), cut strictly in the transverse direction from those parts of the animal’s carcass, the muscles of which were not involved in motor activity. This kind of meat is considered the most tender. However, there are few such non-coarse parts in the animal carcass (no more than 7-10%), and that is why beef steak is considered a delicacy.

For example, it is absolutely impossible to cook a decent steak from the flesh of the sternum or part of the leg, no matter how magical the recipe is. The most suitable meat for beef steak is the meat from the back and sirloin. Choose those parts of the carcass that do not have tendons and powerful muscles. Depending on which part of the carcass the piece was taken from, in modern steak culture there are several main types of beef steak.

What types of steak are there?

Rib steak is a steak based on a piece of meat from the subscapular part of the carcass, which has many fatty streaks, which perfectly contribute to the juiciness of the dish.

Club steak - a piece of meat for such a steak is cut from the thick edge of the longissimus dorsi muscle and has a small rib bone.

T-bone steak (or T-bone steak) - a section of the carcass is used in the area of the thin edge of the longissimus dorsi muscle and the thin edge of the tenderloin, on the border between the back and lumbar parts. A piece cut in this way consists of two types of steak meat at the same time - filet mignon on one side and a T-bone on the other.

Porterhouse steak and striploin steak are steaks from the lumbar back, but in the first case, a piece of meat is taken from the thick edge of the tenderloin, and in the second, from the head of the tenderloin.

Roundramb steak - for this steak, the upper piece of the hip part of the carcass is used.

Filet mignon is not a steak for lovers of rare meat, since it is prepared using the most tender and lean meat - a thin cross section of the central part of the fillet.

Chateaubriand is made from the thick end of the center cut of beef. At its core, it is a large filet mignon, which, when finished, is laid out lengthwise on a plate, after which it is cut into portions.

Tornedos – small pieces from the thin edge of the central part of the tenderloin are used, usually to make medallions.

Skirt steak - to prepare this steak, take a piece of meat from the flank (the steak is not the most tender, but very tasty).

Basic rules for choosing meat

When choosing meat, remember that it should be bright red in color, from red to dark red, but not pink or burgundy. Beef steak meat should be mature, but neither old nor young. The recipe for success is not to use fresh beef. Slices of meat freshly cut from the carcass will have to be allowed to rest by keeping them in the refrigerator for a couple of days at a temperature of +2°C until the blood flows out of them. During this time, the enzymes in the meat will gradually loosen the muscle tissue, and the beef will become softer, more tender and juicy.

When choosing meat, pay special attention to its elasticity; the meat should be quite dense in composition. To determine whether the steak will be tender, press your finger on the raw meat: if, when immersing your finger, a deep dimple is formed, which, when released, smoothly levels out, taking its original position, then the meat is good. Meat that is not too fresh resembles a sponge; when you press on it with your finger, the hole does not straighten out.

Chilled or frozen?

Experienced chefs claim that with proper defrosting, it is quite difficult to distinguish by taste what kind of meat was taken to prepare a steak - chilled or frozen. All you need to do is defrost the meat correctly, following some basic rules: do not defrost meat under any circumstances, either at room temperature, or in the microwave (even in defrost mode), or under running cold (let alone hot) water.

With such emergency defrosting, crystals of frozen liquid will simply tear the delicate fibers of the meat. Defrosting meat is a slow and natural process that should take place at a temperature close to 0°C, if possible in the main compartment of the refrigerator. And even if it takes you a long time, this is how the meat will best retain its nutritional value.

Let's start cooking

The meat must be thoroughly cleaned, cutting off all the films and upper tendons from it, then washed, preferably with a brush, after which it should be placed to dry in a colander or on a cloth for 10 minutes.

The recipe for proper cutting is simple. Slices of meat for beef steak should be cut strictly across the grain. This cutting of meat will allow the heat to pass evenly through the fibers during the cooking process, quickly and evenly heating the meat to the required temperature. The pieces should be from 3 to 5 cm thick. To cook a steak in a frying pan, 3 cm will be enough, and when cooking over coals, the thickness of the piece can reach 5 cm.

Remember that steak meat should not be beaten under any circumstances, since this way it loses not only its structure, but also all its juices.

In addition to the meat itself, to prepare a beef steak you need to stock up on any vegetable oil (preferably olive) and a set of spices or herbs. Spices will give you the opportunity to enjoy the true taste of meat.

In order for the meat to be airy-tender and brightly juicy, it should be marinated beforehand. There are many ways to marinate meat for beef steak. This process lasts about 10-12 hours. The marinating container should be porcelain, glass or ceramic, always with a tight-fitting lid. The traditional marinade recipe is a mixture of olive oil, wine vinegar (or lemon juice), soy sauce, salt and seasonings.

Important advice: when preparing the marinade, use salt in small quantities, so the meat will not lose its juiciness and will turn out more tasty. It is better to add salt to the steak during frying or even at the very end.

Choosing the right dishes

The second rule for getting the perfect beef steak, besides the choice of meat, is the choice of cookware.

For cooking you will need a frying pan. Ideally, this should be a special grill pan. However, an ordinary “grandmother’s” cast iron frying pan, which is likely to be found in every kitchen, is quite suitable. Electric cookware is not entirely suitable for cooking steak, since in this case it will be more difficult for you to control the required temperature.

The pan for cooking steak should be hot. The oil is poured onto the already heated dishes. Remember that the frying pan has warmed up to the desired temperature if a characteristic hissing sound is heard when placing the steak on it. When it hits the hot surface of a frying pan, the meat forms a golden brown crust, which prevents the juice from leaking out and thanks to which the steak remains juicy. If the piece of meat is thick enough, you can use special tongs to fix the piece perpendicular to the pan, thus sealing the edges of the steak.

To get the perfect steak, do not fry more than one piece at a time in one pan. As you lay out the meat, the pan will cool, a crust will not form on the surface of the meat for a long time, the meat, accordingly, will lose its juices, and the steak will turn out dry, tough and tasteless. You need to keep a close eye on the oil during cooking. If it begins to foam, it is urgent to increase the heat to prevent the juice secreted by the meat from boiling, which must certainly remain inside the steak, behind the crispy crust.

Using one recipe, you can cook at least three different beef steaks, varying in degree of juiciness. Depending on the length of time the meat is kept in the pan, the steaks may have different degrees of doneness.

There are three main types of roasting

Rare level, or rare steak, is obtained by frying for 4 minutes, two on each side. The finished steak has an internal temperature of 45°C to 50°C. In this case, only a crust has time to appear on the meat.

The Medium degree of roasting is typical for medium-rare meat with pinkish meat juice; the roasting time is about 8-10 minutes. The temperature inside the steak is between 55°C and 60°C. At the Medium level, ideal tenderness and juiciness of the meat is achieved.

Medium Well doneness is achieved by frying the steak for 8 minutes in a frying pan and 4 minutes in an oven preheated to maximum temperature. The meat turns out well-done, with an internal temperature of 65°C to 70°C.

You can easily check the readiness of the steak by pressing it with your finger. Rare steak will be tender, well-done will be firm, and medium-rare steak is somewhere in between.

And the last rule, which applies equally to all meat dishes - after removing the meat from the heat, let it “rest”, ripen for about 5-10 minutes, so that all the juices released during frying can be evenly distributed throughout the entire piece. If you start cutting the meat right away, the juices will leak out and the steak will turn out dry.

After the finished meat has “rested,” it can be served on a heated plate. As a side dish for steak, garlic bread or vegetables in any form, but in small quantities, are perfect. Remember that steak is the king on your table, do not distract attention from it with a side dish.

Well, to complete the creation of the appropriate atmosphere, have a bottle of dry red wine. Now you know the recipe for the perfect dish. The perfect evening awaits you!

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