How to cook the Perfect Steak

Cooking the perfect steak can be a challenge. Smaller cuts of meat can dry out easily or cook too quickly so they become dry, tough or leathery. The best pan to cook them in is a heavy frying pan or griddle. I personally, prefer fillet but if you use the rump, the texture of the meat is firmer and the marbling gives it a full flavour. I got these great tips from the times on line and http://www.donaldrussell.co.uk/ .

Prepare the steaks
Make sure the meat is at  room temperature

Preheat your pan
Heat a griddle or frying pan over a high heat until hot, but not smoking. (If the pan is too hot, the outside will burn before the inside is done, too cold, and your steaks will be tough).

Brush the steaks with oil, or pour a little oil into the pan, and season if desired. I use canola but you can use olive too if you like the taste. The meat will sizzle when put on the pan - that tells you it is hot enough.

Cook on one side for 3-4 minutes, then reduce to a medium heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Turn the steak over with a pair of tongs, and cook for a further 6 minutes. (You can vary the times here if you prefer a rare or well-done steak.)

Do not prick the meat with a fork or the juices will escape

To check if done, press the steak gently with the tip of your finger. Rare should be soft and supple, well done firm, and medium in between.

Remove from the pan, place on a rack and cover with foil and leave in a warm place for up to 10 minutes. Remember it is always better to over-rest your steaks than to under-rest them. Resting helps the meat to achieve the full flavour and tenderness.

Serve your steaks. The best knives to cut the meat are super sharp, un-serrated steak knives

 How do you like your meat??
Rare (bleu)

• Press-test: Soft
• The internal temperature is 45-47ºC
• The meat is bloody and the juices are dark red.

Medium rare (saignant)

• Press-test: Soft yet springy
• The internal temperature is 50-52ºC
• The meat is still bloody in the centre and the meat juice is light red.

Medium (a point)

• Press-test: Firm and springy
• The internal temperature is 55-60ºC
• The centre of the meat is pink.

Well done (bien cuit)

• Press-test: Firm
• The internal temperature is 64-70ºC
• The meat is cooked throughout and the juices are clear.

Best Cuts
Fillet

Fillet is the most tender, lean and mild flavoured of all the steaks, therefore the most luxurious and expensive.

Sirloin

Sirloin is tasty and tender with good marbling and a covering of fat on the outside. This fat is what makes sirloin taste so good, but you only need a little to get the full flavour benefits.

Ribeye

Ribeye is juicy and richly flavoured with a rugged appearance, generous marbling and firm texture. It has a wide ribbon of fat at the core which melts during cooking to make it taste extra succulent and mellow.

Rump

Rump is very lean with a robust, firm texture and strong beefy flavour. Traditional rump steaks are very sinewy, but good butchers cut round the sinews. This thicker cut, popular on the Continent, is called ‘Pavé’.