Cooking a fillet steak?
Discussion
OK so a noddy question but I'm sure there are a few ways to skin this particular cat.
You have 2 steaks. One person wants on medium well, the other medium rare. The steaks are pretty equally sized.
What's the best approach?
I ask as obviously just giving one longer on each side results in a crust that is bordering on burnt.
You have 2 steaks. One person wants on medium well, the other medium rare. The steaks are pretty equally sized.
What's the best approach?
I ask as obviously just giving one longer on each side results in a crust that is bordering on burnt.
Digger said:
I don't mean to sound patronising but if that is the result you are getting then you might need to turn the heat down a smidgeon! Sounds obvious I know. 
No not all, as I said, lots of ways to skin a cat. I should stress that I don't mean literally burnt, but more than a little bit of a crust. I always believed the rule of thumb was very hot pan, steak brushed in olive oil, popped directly into dry hot pan.paddyhasneeds said:
Digger said:
I don't mean to sound patronising but if that is the result you are getting then you might need to turn the heat down a smidgeon! Sounds obvious I know.
No not all, as I said, lots of ways to skin a cat. I should stress that I don't mean literally burnt, but more than a little bit of a crust. I always believed the rule of thumb was very hot pan, steak brushed in olive oil, popped directly into dry hot pan.Sounds like I'm doing it right then and not having enough faith in the end product. I'm a very fussy bugger with burnt food and I'm happy with medium rare, and the medium rare fillet with a bit of a crust does taste amazing if I say so myself, but I find it difficult to simply let it carry on cooking for those who want it better done as I'm assuming it's burning - seems the trick is to just carry on cooking it.
Also I would suggest changing your oil as this may be causing the burning (crust) on the outside of the steak.
Olive oil has a lower burning temperature than other oils. Nut oils have the highest burning temperature.
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsm...
Olive oil has a lower burning temperature than other oils. Nut oils have the highest burning temperature.
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsm...
shakotan said:
Preheat oven to 200C
Room temperature steaks, seasoned and oiled.
Pan smoking hot - steaks in 1 minute per side, both then straight into oven. 4 mins for the med rare, 8 mins for the med well.
Serve.
8 mins for medium well at 200c???Room temperature steaks, seasoned and oiled.
Pan smoking hot - steaks in 1 minute per side, both then straight into oven. 4 mins for the med rare, 8 mins for the med well.
Serve.
Edited by shakotan on Sunday 8th May 19:41
paddyhasneeds said:
OK so a noddy question but I'm sure there are a few ways to skin this particular cat.
You have 2 steaks. One person wants on medium well, the other medium rare. The steaks are pretty equally sized.
What's the best approach?
I ask as obviously just giving one longer on each side results in a crust that is bordering on burnt.
Get some skirt steak and give that to the medium well person. What is the point of serving fillet med-well?You have 2 steaks. One person wants on medium well, the other medium rare. The steaks are pretty equally sized.
What's the best approach?
I ask as obviously just giving one longer on each side results in a crust that is bordering on burnt.
As others have said, the steak MUST be room temp. Use nut oil, and MUST season with plenty of good sea-salt and black pepper. Get the pan as hot as humanly possible. Put steak in for a couple of mins then turn. Use the thumb rule to judge wellness (google it), and once your're happy with one you MUST put it in a warm place (100 deg oven?) to rest for 5 mins. For the more welldone one, turn it until both sides meet the rule of thumb. Then rest as above.
Serve with the juices that come out during the resting period.
IMHO for the ultimate steak forget fillet and go for a 28 day aged ribeye. The extra fat in the cut with dissolve giving a super tender steak with much more flavour....
They'll work, and restaurants do it, but you don't need to do it if you can get them all in the pan(s).
http://thepauperedchef.com/node/406
http://thepauperedchef.com/node/406
Personally I've never understood these "double definitions". To me, there is well, medium, rare and blue. I don't actually know the difference between "medium well" and "medium rare".
Don't cook them straight from the fridge. Bung one on before the other. The one you put on later, take it off earlier. If a vet can't revive it, it's cooked.
Done.
Don't cook them straight from the fridge. Bung one on before the other. The one you put on later, take it off earlier. If a vet can't revive it, it's cooked.
Done.
@pokethepope - I had the steaks covered in olive oil, salt and pepper at room temp for about an hour, preheated fan oven to 200 and I had the frying pan as hot as it could get. Chucked a nob of butter in, cooked for one minute either side then 4 mins in the oven.
Best sirloin I've ever cooked, let us know how you get on.
Best sirloin I've ever cooked, let us know how you get on.
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