The Best Cooked Steak Starts with Knowing the Meat
Steaks
Steak is basically the meat that is generally sliced across the muscle fiber and often includes a bone as well. Typically, steaks are grilled, but they can also be pan-fried. People prefer thier steaks grilled because the Flavors of the steak are further enhanced when it is grilled as the meat is cooked over the glowing coals on an open fire.
If the steak is pan-fried, it never has the same Flavor as a grilled steak. Steak can also be cooked in sauce, such as in a steak and kidney pie, or minced and formed into patties, such as hamburgers.
Apart from cattle, you can also have your steak meat from other animals like bison, camel, goat, horse, kangaroo, sheep, ostrich, pigs, reindeer, turkey, deer, and zebu, as well as various types of fish, especially salmon and large fish such as swordfish, shark, and marlin.
For some meats, such as pork, lamb and mutton, chevon, and veal, these cuts are often referred to as chops. Some cured meat, such as gammon, is commonly served as steak.
Many people in this world have different preferences when it comes to steaks. To some people, the steak's tenderness is more important, while to some, the taste holds the most value. If you prefer tenderness, you should get the most tender part of the animal's meat; it is called the tenderloin. Tenderloin is a cut that doesn't have a high amount of fat, and the marbling effect is quite diminished. Like other cuts of steak, the tenderloin is extraordinarily tender. However, if you are looking for flavor in your steak, then you must go for ribeye. Ribeye is going to be full of flavor but a little less tenderness.
Then the other category for steak is bone-in and boneless. You can also get the bone-in ribeye which is also known as the club steak. Or you can get the boneless steak which usually comes in the form of strips.
It is a food that is loved all around the world. Nearly all countries of the world have a special love for steaks. However, the meat and the cooking method can be different in different places. Below I have described different methods to prepare a steak prevalent in other parts of the world.
Grilled
It is the most common and the simplest way to cook a steak. All you need to grill your steak is some butter, salt, pepper, and some steak. Once your grill is hot, put your steak and some oil on it. Season your steak with oil occasionally so that it doesn't dry out.
When the grill is good and toasty, throw the steaks on and leave them alone for between 3-5 minutes a side, depending on how red you like them. When the time is up, remove the steaks from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes covered in foil then serve.
Pan-Fried
Another method to cook your steak is to pan-fry it. This method is not much different from the grilling method. But, like you would toss your steak with some oil occasionally while grilling it, here you don't have to do the same. You can simply add some butter along with your steak in a hot pan. Also, to add some Flavor, you can add salt and pepper to it. Once all the ingredients are in the pan, you can cover the pan with a lid and wait for 5-6 mins until one side of the steak is cooked properly. After that, you can turn your steak and enjoy it once it is cooked as per your liking.
Steak Tartare
Steak tartare is a unique type of steak. It is mostly found in France, but now it is being consumed in many parts of the USA. However, since a lot of people struggle with the idea of a rare steak, a raw one is usually out of the question.
Steak tartare is not only odd for the lack of heat involved in its preparation, it also stands out because the steak is chopped up before serving.
The ingredients of this steak are often also served along. These ingredients include salt, pepper, mustard, chives, egg yolks, capers, and lemon juice. They are placed at the side of the plate so that the diner or guest can season their steak as per their liking.
Coal-roasted steak
This method works best using charcoal. You should remove all the fat and the silver skin present on your meat till the time your coals are heating up. After that, take a piece of clean cotton and soak it. After that, cover that cotton with some salt and oregano. Lay the steak on the salt about four inches from and perpendicular to a corner. Then, carefully roll the steak in the cloth, and tie the loose ends together. You should be aiming for a nice tight parcel.
Now, your coals must have been heated up, so put that meat parcel on the coals directly. Cook each side of the steak for about 8-9 minutes. During this time, the cotton that you have wrapped over the meat will go from white to black.
Test the meat for doneness by using a thermometer (120° for rare, 135 for medium, etc.), and after letting the whole thing rest for a couple of minutes away from the coals, break through the now carbonized parcel to get at the meat. Brush off any excess salt and serve.
Reverse Sear
The process involves baking in the oven in the oven followed by searing on a pan. I am a fan of this technique as it provides more control of the internal temperature, a stunning browned crust, and a tenderer piece of meat.
Sous Vide Steak
This method of cooking steak is for those who don't want to invest a lot of time in cooking. Sous vide is the process of placing food in airtight bags and cooking slowly at low temperatures in a water bath. The temperature can be as low as 120° Fahrenheit, but a smart controller can easily be set anywhere you like.
By using a vacuum-sealed bag, the meat is sealed in with its juices, and any seasoning you apply has nowhere to go but into the meat.
General Practices
- Don't use a fork to flip your steak, as it might puncture the surface of the meat. Instead, use a spatula
- Don't cut your steak immediately after putting it off the heat. Let it rest.
Steak Cuts (Beef)
Eye Fillet (aka Fillet or Tenderloin)
Scotch Fillet (aka Ribeye)
Sirloin
T-Bone (aka Porterhouse or New York Steak)
Rump
Onglet (aka Hanger)
Skirt
Flank
Flat-iron (aka Feather)
