Enjoying a tender steak. How?

Author
Discussion

Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,601 posts

173 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
I love steak and cook it regularly, whilst I enjoy a bit of a chew, it often comes out a lot tougher than I'd like. If I paid £20 for it in a restaurant I'd not be happy as an example. the taste is fine just the texture.

I normally buy fillet, either Tesco finest or Lidl (top of range) If this is where I'm going wrong then some guidance would be appreciated.

I also (generally) cook it straight from the fridge in either a George Foreman or non stick frying pan on a high heat with no added oil or fat.

I'd appreciate the definitive on :

1. Purchasing.
2. Storing.
3. cooking.
4. Enjoying.

Thanks

shakotan

10,684 posts

196 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Thankyou4calling said:
I love steak and cook it regularly, whilst I enjoy a bit of a chew, it often comes out a lot tougher than I'd like. If I paid £20 for it in a restaurant I'd not be happy as an example. the taste is fine just the texture.

I normally buy fillet, either Tesco finest or Lidl (top of range) If this is where I'm going wrong then some guidance would be appreciated.

I also (generally) cook it straight from the fridge in either a George Foreman or non stick frying pan on a high heat with no added oil or fat.

I'd appreciate the definitive on :

1. Purchasing.
2. Storing.
3. cooking.
4. Enjoying.

Thanks
Let it get to room temperature before cooking.
Allow it to rest under foil for at least 10 minutes after cooking.



dudleybloke

19,805 posts

186 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Trim the steak before you cook it.

shakotan

10,684 posts

196 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
If you only eat fillet, how rare/well done do you have it?

Lower fat steaks work best on the rarer side of cooking (I'd never have a fillet cooked past medium rare), whereas more fatty cuts like ribeye and sirloin work well at a longer cook which allows the fat to render into the flesh.

If you're having a fillet cooked medium and beyond, it'll dry out and be chewy.

Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,601 posts

173 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for the prompt replies.

I always trim the fat, should i leave it on then trim AFTER cooking, and thanks for the advice about letting it rest.

i think i may be cooking it too much as well.


Stig

11,817 posts

284 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Chances are, you're overcooking it and eating before it's properly rested. Filet is very unforgiving due to the low fat content too. You want something that's been properly hung, for a decent amount of time.

Personally, my approach is to always cook with meat at room temperature, otherwise you risk a black outer and raw inner.

Season meat with salt, but no pepper yet as pepper burns on a high heat.

Get a heavy pan, Le Creuset for example, and get smoking hot. You want something that will hold the heat and not cool too much when the meat goes in.

Cook on a VERY high heat and turn the meat every 10 seconds (tes, every 10 seconds) until done to the desired state (blue, rare, medium, well, charcoal bricket)

Season with pepper at the end. Rest in foil (to retain juices) for 5mins-10mins.

Eat.

shakotan

10,684 posts

196 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
I do the turn often thing to, mine is every 15 seconds.

For a fillet, I'd go for a cook of around 3 mins total.

tomsugden

2,235 posts

228 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
How to reverse sear cook a steak


INGREDIENTS

One behemothly thick steak (bone in ribeye works great!). It's going to need to be at least 1" thick if not more. The thicker, the better.
Salt & pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 135c/275f
Place well seasoned steaks on a rack over a baking tray (cover the tray with foil to save yourself a clean up)
Put in oven and cook til an internal temp of 125-135f depending on your preference of "doneness". Usually takes around 45-60 minutes.
Remove when at temp and rest for 10-15 minutes under foil
Preheat a skillet or heavy based pan to screamingly hot temperatures
Sear steaks for one minute each side
Serve immediately.

Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,601 posts

173 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Thanks all.

I've definitely not been turning the steak enough, not been letting it sit at room temp prior to cooking and i've not let it rest.

The tip about pepper is excellent too.

I'm getting hungry now!

craigjm

17,940 posts

200 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
For love of god never put a steak on a Foreman Grill again!

GTIAlex

1,935 posts

166 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Great tips.

Is it best to trim the fat before or after?

don4l

10,058 posts

176 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
You need to start with a good bit of meat. This will probably come from a decent butcher. Aldi do 28 day dry aged steaks. I recently had them, and they were delicious as well as very tender.

8-10 hours before cooking, I season them with salt. Initially, this will draw out some moisture, but this will get reabsorbed.

I cook in an oil with a high smoking point. I use sunflower oil.

I get the pan as hot as possible before putting in the steaks. I then turn them every 15 seconds until they are cooked to my liking. Remove from pan and rest 10-15 minutes.

IMHO, a good piece of rump will be as tender as fillet, but a lot tastier.

I cook mine medium or medium rare. Any more and the meat becomes very tough.

Digitalize

2,850 posts

135 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Cooking a half decent steak is simple.

Get the steak out a few hours before cooking, put a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper if you want. Get the pan nice and hot, almost smoking, minute on each side roughly, maybe add a bit of butter if you like. Let it sit in foil for 3-5 mins (much longer and it's cold).

All there is to a decently cooked steak.

Foliage

3,861 posts

122 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
get rump or ribeye, its more forgiving to cook, until you get the hang of it. Also personally I always get aged steak.

Give the steak 20minutes to get up to room temp
Red hot black iron pan
1 minute a side, done,
leave to rest for 10mins

Shaw Tarse

31,543 posts

203 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Always rest your meat after cooking, 50% of cooking time is a guide.
Never cook from chilled.

Also consider a cheaper cut of steak.

toasty

7,466 posts

220 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Contrary to others, I'd avoid turning so much. The whole point of searing is to brown the meat while keeping the inside less well done. Keep turning and you'll end up with meat the same all the way through.

Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,601 posts

173 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
craigjm said:
For love of god never put a steak on a Foreman Grill again!
Yes sir!

markcoznottz

7,155 posts

224 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Sear outside of fillet in hot cast iron pan in oil of choice, 1 minute each side. Wrap in foil to make a sealed parcel, put in George Foreman grill, leave as long as desired, the steam can't escape and cooks the inside nice and soft. Rest for couple minutes.

Foliage

3,861 posts

122 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
toasty said:
Contrary to others, I'd avoid turning so much. The whole point of searing is to brown the meat while keeping the inside less well done. Keep turning and you'll end up with meat the same all the way through.
Yep, I just pop it in the pan, do something else for a minute then turn it over.

Ive also seen people seal the edges, really don't see the point.

Stig

11,817 posts

284 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
quotequote all
Digitalize said:
Cooking a half decent steak is simple.

Get the steak out a few hours before cooking, put a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper if you want. Get the pan nice and hot, almost smoking, minute on each side roughly, maybe add a bit of butter if you like. Let it sit in foil for 3-5 mins (much longer and it's cold).

All there is to a decently cooked steak.
Only thing is with olive oil is that it burns at a relatively moderate temp and tastes bitter if cooked at a high heat as a result. I use groundnut for all high temp cooking.