Cook a Perfect Steak

It’s important to be thorough when cooking your meat. Undercooked meat will taste bad at best and causes diseases at worst. But overcooked meat can taste tough and flavorless. If you want to learn how to make steaks that will have your friends and family raving, just follow these simple steps.

 

Step 1: Frying pan selection.

Pick out your best pan. A thick, heavy pan with a no-stick surface works well. If your pan is small, don’t squeeze too many steaks in at once, because this will detract from the flavor. Just grill one or two at a time.

 

Step 2: Essential oil.

Some chefs recommend groundnut oil. Olive oil or coconut oil works too, but butter may yield strange results. Pour oil directly onto the pan and make sure it spreads evenly. When it starts to separate, it’s time to add your steak.

 

Step 3: Spice it up.

Add seasoning or a splash of marinade for enhanced flavor. Salt and pepper is always a trusty go-to, but there is a wide array of seasoning mixtures specifically for cooking beef available at your local grocery store. Using cracked black pepper and sea salt is also a simple way to add some extra pizzazz. Don’t season too early, because the salt will suck moisture out of the meat.

 

Step 4: As you like it.

There are 4 levels of steak-cooking, and you can select the one that tastes best to you.

Rare: The meat is dark red in color and juice is flowing, the texture is spongy and soft. When you apply pressure to the meat, it should be met with only slight resistance.

Medium-Rare: The meat is pink colored with a little pink juice flowing. The texture will feel spongy, but springy. Pressure should result in slightly more resistance.

Meduim: The middle is pale pink with hardly any juice flowing. It should feel very firm and springy.

Well-done: Only a trace of pink coloring. Make sure it isn’t too dry! It should also feel firm and springy.


 

Step 5: Let’s get cooking.

Consider the size and weight of your steak before you calculate cooking time.

Here are some suggested times for a 2 cm sirloin:

Rare: 1.5 mins per side.

Medium Rare: 2 mins per side.

Medium: 2.5 mins per side.

Well-done: 4-5 mins per side.

You can make a small cut in the middle of your steak to test its coloring while you are cooking it. When you’re finished, you can also push on the steak with your finger to assess its firmness.

 

Step 6: Eat and Enjoy!