Enjoying a tender steak. How?
Discussion
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.
That depends on whether you're after an even cook or leather filled with putty 
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
My tips: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
- Throw your George Formby grill in the bin and swear an allegience to PH-FD&R that you will never ever cook a steak on one ever again.
- If you (have to) buy a steak from the supermarket that is vac packed, get it out of the pack and pat it dry before putting it in the fridge.
- Take the steak out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before cooking.
- Trim any sinew from the steak.
- Get your pan smoking hot.
- Oil the meat not the pan.
- Season the steak with salt but DO NOT put pepper on it (as it burns)
- Cook it to your liking, turning it a couple of times.
- Just before it is cooked, throw in a generous amount of butter and baste the steak. Season with pepper.
- Lift steak out and put somewhere warm to rest.
- Serve and enjoy.
Don't turn the steak every 10/15 seconds.
You should only need to turn the steak once clockwise each side and then once again to turn it over. If you're constantly turning your steak over it's never going to cook properly.
I always season after cooking as it pulls the blood/juice back through the meat.
You should only need to turn the steak once clockwise each side and then once again to turn it over. If you're constantly turning your steak over it's never going to cook properly.
I always season after cooking as it pulls the blood/juice back through the meat.
Edited by NordicCrankShaft on Tuesday 31st May 19:33
NordicCrankShaft said:
Don't turn the steak every 10/15 seconds.
You should only need to turn the steak once clockwise each side and then once again to turn it over. If your constanly turning your steakl over it never going to cook properly.
I always season after cookinh as it pulls the blood/juice back through the meat.
Define 'properly'? Regularly turning ensures an even cook as both sides get equal heat.You should only need to turn the steak once clockwise each side and then once again to turn it over. If your constanly turning your steakl over it never going to cook properly.
I always season after cookinh as it pulls the blood/juice back through the meat.
Each to their own in this respect though I guess, as it seems to divide opinion.
Turning isn't a big thing IMO, personally I believe there's no reason to if you're cooking to temperature and the more you interfere with it the longer it'll take and the more moisture you'll lose. But mainly it's because once it hits the pan I leave it alone until turning time and focus on wine.
I also think filet is the most overrated cut of beef there is and I've eaten it at some seriously good places. I don't care what cattle it comes from, what it got fed, and who is cooking it I've yet to touch a filet that can hold a candle to a good T-bone/porterhouse/ribeye from the same beef stock. Phenomenal texture, but I'm more interested in flavor.
Spend the same money you'd part with on an average filet on a ribeye and don't trim anything but the excess, fat = flavor. If you don't like it when it's on your plate just eat around it, but at least give it a chance to impart some deliciousness into the meat as it cooks.
Try a better cut of meat and follow these rules:
1) Always give the meat time to come up in temp - never straight out of the fridge and into the pan.
2) Oil the meat and not the pan. If you put butter on do it at the end unless you want burned butter flavor. Pan should be very hot. I use cast iron skillets. Don't put salt and pepper on until the end.
3) Don't faff about with it as it cooks, just make sure it's not welding itself to the skillet.
4) Cook to temperature not colour, and never over-cook it. It's better to be a little undercooked than overcooked.
5) Rest it before serving. I typically wait 5 minutes. Some say longer, I'm impatient and hungry so 5 minutes is just fine.
If that doesn't give you something delicious to start from, you'll find chicken in the next aisle
I also think filet is the most overrated cut of beef there is and I've eaten it at some seriously good places. I don't care what cattle it comes from, what it got fed, and who is cooking it I've yet to touch a filet that can hold a candle to a good T-bone/porterhouse/ribeye from the same beef stock. Phenomenal texture, but I'm more interested in flavor.
Spend the same money you'd part with on an average filet on a ribeye and don't trim anything but the excess, fat = flavor. If you don't like it when it's on your plate just eat around it, but at least give it a chance to impart some deliciousness into the meat as it cooks.
Try a better cut of meat and follow these rules:
1) Always give the meat time to come up in temp - never straight out of the fridge and into the pan.
2) Oil the meat and not the pan. If you put butter on do it at the end unless you want burned butter flavor. Pan should be very hot. I use cast iron skillets. Don't put salt and pepper on until the end.
3) Don't faff about with it as it cooks, just make sure it's not welding itself to the skillet.
4) Cook to temperature not colour, and never over-cook it. It's better to be a little undercooked than overcooked.
5) Rest it before serving. I typically wait 5 minutes. Some say longer, I'm impatient and hungry so 5 minutes is just fine.
If that doesn't give you something delicious to start from, you'll find chicken in the next aisle
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.
Actually the opposite is true, turning the meat often allows the outside to sear without the steak sitting and allowing the heat to penetrate the centre and cooking it through.The outside of the steak still has the same contact time with the hot surface of the pan.
Get to room temp and then rub with olive and season with salt and pepper.
Get pan hot and seal for 4 minutes - top, bottom and sides.
Then pop into oven (fan 180) on a pre- heated baking tray for anything from 7 mins (rare) to 14mins (well done) turning half-way through and allow to rest for 2 mins.
I do mine for about 8 minutes and it's a perfect.
Get pan hot and seal for 4 minutes - top, bottom and sides.
Then pop into oven (fan 180) on a pre- heated baking tray for anything from 7 mins (rare) to 14mins (well done) turning half-way through and allow to rest for 2 mins.
I do mine for about 8 minutes and it's a perfect.
Stig said:
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.
I cook mine similar to this but don't turn the meat every 10 seconds.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.
I buy sirloins from Costco which are superb and are usually about an inch thick. I like my steak medium rare so that works out at a total cooking time of 4 mins (2 mins per side).
I put them on at an angle then give them a 1/4 turn after 1 min and repeat the process once you have turned them over.
Resting is really important. I put mine on a wire rack over a roasting pan and cover with lots of foil. 10 mins rest minimum.
Try and use groundnut oil as well as it's better at higher temps than olive or veg oil.
vanordinaire said:
I'm probably going to get shot down in flames for this, but I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the source. In my opinion you'll never get the same quality from a supermarket as you get from a decent butcher.
True, but a decent cook of an average bit of meat can still get good results.I buy quite a few of those Boswell Farm sirloins and rib-eyes from Tesco and you'd expect a £2.80 steak to be rubbish. Not really the case.
vanordinaire said:
I'm probably going to get shot down in flames for this, but I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the source. In my opinion you'll never get the same quality from a supermarket as you get from a decent butcher.
I've found the supermarket "finest" ranges are pretty good and have been better than most local high street butchers. Sourcing from wholesalers and catering butchers I've never been amazed by them but better than the average supermarket. The best for me was buying direct from a farm or specialist online. Ultimately a lot comes down to what you are prepared to pay.Having said that even an average butchers steak can be good cooked correctly. And an amazing steak cooked poorly will be crap.
Got to get both right.
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