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Many people think that steak is one of the easiest dishes you can possibly cook. However, if youve ever had a go yourself, youll realize that its not all that easy to get it as tender and juicy as your favorite restaurant. If youre cooking to impress, or you just want to up your game in the kitchen, then Im about to teach you how to cook the perfect steak.
Sourcing the Meat
Even if you were the greatest chef who ever lived, the overall quality of your steak is going to be dictated at least somewhat by the raw meat you buy. Look at some reviews for some beef suppliers in your local area, then go to one who seems to sell consistently great cuts. Speaking of cuts, you also have to choose the right one. Thin skirt, flank skirt and thick skirt are all good bets, but my personal favorite is feather steak (also known as flat iron). Make sure your butcher removes the gnarly sinew right in the middle, and then you’ll be good to go.
Method
Before you start any real cooking, take your steak out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for a while, allowing the meat to get up to room temperature. Half an hour will usually do, but you may want to wait a full one to be safe. If you fry or grill it cold, youll risk keeping the heat from penetrating all the way to the middle. You should also make sure that the pan or griddle is so hot you can feel it before you start. This will make your crusts absolutely divine.
Once its been out long enough, rub the meat all over with a good dose of olive oil, then sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Then, lay it gently on the hot pan or griddle and turn it every minute, for around six minutes for medium rare. I could end this post right there, but the result would be far from the perfect steak. If you really want to wow your guests, you’ll need to add a little more flavor. Halve a full garlic clove, and then rub it all over the steak for about a minute on each side. Next, do the same thing, except with a piece of butter. That sweetness melting over it will make the taste heavenly! After that, you want to take to it with a herb brush. If you’ve never used one of these before, a herb brush is essentially just some woody herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme tied to the handle of a wooden spoon. As primitive as this sounds, brushing your steak on each turn with one of these is the best way to make sure you’re spreading the flavoring out evenly. Once its done the way you like it, let it rest on a plate to collect its juices, then slice it up and drizzle the excess juices all over. Try a piece, and decide whether the title of this post is justified!
