How To Cook A Perfect Steak
When cooking an expensive steak, you want to make sure you cook it right. With Whats Cooking Americas step-by-step cooking instructions, you will learn how to cook perfect steaks every time!
You will not only learn how to cook the perfect steak but also how to purchase and prepare the steaks. Well walk you through methods for pan-seared in a cast-iron skillet, sear-roasted in the oven or grilled on the barbecue.
This page will cover the following topics:
The most important tip I have learned over the years is that using dry heat is the best way to cook perfect steaks and other tender cuts of meat. Dry heat cooking causes the exterior of the meat to brown and caramelize which gives the steaks a richly browned complex flavor. This is partly a result of the sugars inherent in the meat going through a series of complex reactions called the Maillard reaction. The moisture on the surface of the meat also evaporates and the juices become concentrated, forming the appealing brown crust.
Purchasing Steaks:
When buying steaks, buy the best grade of meat you can afford. It should be USDA Prime Aged Beef. If your butcher does not have this, the next best grade is USDA Choice.
Look for steak with fine texture and firm to the touch. You want the color to be a light cherry red color .
Grading Cuts of Beef:
Salting Steaks:
Use coarse, kosher, or sea salt only .
Cook the steak to you liking.
Using A Meat Thermometer:
Dont Overcrowd The Grill
You can either go with multiple individual steaks or a single full-size steak. We recommend you not to overcrowd the grill if you want the steak to be perfectly cooked.
One large steak is easier to manage than multiple small steaks. When you are attending one of them, the other might burn.
Also, since you have to flip the steaks quickly to sear properly, it is important to only put as many on the grill that you can conveniently attend.
A larger steak of 32-ounce can serve 6 people. Instead of cutting it before grilling, you should grill the whole thing as one and then cut it into multiple slices. This will help you in feeding a party of people, without hampering the taste of the steak.
Amp Up The Flavor With Butter Sauce
When I first began work on this recipe, I tried dry rubs, oil, and simple salt and pepper. All of these are wonderful things to put on steaks, but I felt like it needed more.
I settled on basting the steak with an herbed butter sauce. First, because butter. Second, because I have an extensive herb garden and it didnt require a trip to the store. I was worried that the butter might burn on the grill, and leave an acrid flavor, but it didnt.
It was pure deliciousness. The herbs added complexity without masking the meatiness of the steak.
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How To Cook Steak On The Grill
We won’t get into the fiery debate between charcoal versus gas grills here we’ve covered that in depth. But for certain, great grilling can be had with either charcoal or gas.
We’ve also covered how to pick the best steak for grilling. The good news is, the perfect steak doesn’t need to be the most expensive. If breaking the bank isn’t part of your barbeque plan, consider less spendy sirloin, hanger, flank steak, and skirt steaks.
Choose cuts that are at least 1-inch thick. If the steak is too thin, the interior gets cooked well-done before the exterior can develop the crave-worthy crust. If you can, choose steaks of even thickness so they’ll be done at the same time. Also, meat near the bone will take a little longer to cook.
The ideal steak marinade combines acid, fat, and seasonings. The acid creates a tangy flavor foundation and tenderizes the meat the fat adds flavor, seals in juices, helps keep the meat from sticking to the grill, and promotes caramelization and the seasonings complete the flavor profile. Here’s a breakdown of The Best Steak Marinade in Existence.
Some Favorite Grilled Steak Recipes:
What Temperature Do You Grill Tomahawk Steaks
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to grilling tomahawk steaks is not allowing your grill to reach the correct temperature. If you are eager to eat your steak, it can be very tempting to rush the process, but it is very important that you wait, otherwise your steak will take longer to cook.
To grill your Tomahawk steak, you should allow the grill to warm up to an internal temperature of 225 degrees Fahrenheit before you even consider putting your steak in the grill. Double check that it has reached this temperature, then add your steak. But remember to keep it as far away from the open flame as you can.
As we have said, it will usually take around 45 minutes for your tomahawk steak to cook at this temperature. But, ensure that you flip the steak and check the temperature every 10 minutes so that it does not burn.
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Dont Forget The Thermometereven If Youre A Pro
Chef Christian Ragano thinks this is one of the most important things to remember. Temping a steak by hand can be tricky, he says. It takes a ton of practice and a ton of experience. Thomas Keller once said, You have to cook a steak a thousand times just to suck at it.’
Dont have a meat thermometer on hand? Ted Hopson, chef and co-owner of L.A.s The Bellwether, recommends using metal cake testers. People always are looking for secrets on how to get the perfect steak doneness, he says. We use metal cake testers. the best tool you can use for this. Insert the metal tester into the steak, leave it for five seconds, then pull it out and touch it to your lips or inner wrist. The internal temp of the steak will tell you how done it is. If it is cold, your steak is rare, if it is just warm, medium rare, slightly hot, medium, etc… No more pushing on it to test itwhat happens when you hit a muscle knot? now it is even easier. Plus, cake testers are less than a dollar and you can get them in baking sections or on Amazon.
Chef Prentiss offered these numbers to aim for:
Rare: 120-130°F
Well: 160-165°F
Selecting The Right Cut
First, a definition. Steaks are basically any piece of meat that falls under the category of “fast-cooking” cutscuts that are low enough in connective tissue that they don’t require the long cooking times that “slow-cooking” cuts require. The difference between a steak and roast essentially comes down to size. Any good roast can be cut into individual steaks .
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Is A Medium Rare Steak Safe To Eat
A lot of people get concerned about seeing pink in their steak. Doesnt that mean its not fully cooked? Wont bacteria grow in there? Unfortunately, medium-rare often gets confused with rare steak, which has an easily identifiable red color. Its important to know that medium rare steak is not the same as raw steak or rare meat. A medium rare rib eye wont hurt you if its a quality piece of meat thats cooked properly and stored safely before and after its cooked.
Medium rare steak gets cooked to a safe temperature. You usually stop cooking it between 135 and 140 degrees and then allow it to sit and rest for a few minutes. During this time, its temperature continues to rise slightly because the heat keeps it cooking. When all is said and done, your medium-rare steak should be at 145 degrees, which is considered safe to eat.
Additional Tips On How Long To Grill Steak:
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How To Grill Steak
Grilling steak can be intimidatingespecially when everyone has a different opinion about how cooked it should be . But I promise you that, in reality, it’s easier and faster than grilling chicken. Below is our basic guide for grilling steak. Follow our rules and cooking times, and you’ll be a grill boss in no time.
Remove the chill.
Steak right out of the fridge will cook unevenly. Set yours out at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling
Be direct.
Direct heat means you’re cooking something directly over the flame . It’s what gives grilled meat that beautiful dark char. Indirect heat means you’re cooking the food to the side of the heat source. For steak, you’re mainly dealing with direct heat.
Temperature matters.
The next thing to consider is temperature. If you’re not super comfortable in the kitchen, yes, you should go buy a meat thermometer if you don’t have one already. If you like your steak medium rare, 130-135° is your range. For medium, it’s 135-145° and for medium well, 145-155°. Please don’t go any higher than that! For all you grill bosses out there, a good way to check if the meat is done is by touch. It should give in a little bit in the middle but bounce back quickly after you press it.
If you’re working with a leaner cut, marinate it!
Let it rest.
Dont even think about slicing into your steak until its had a minimum of10 minutes to seal in all its glorious juices.
Slice against the grain.
Choose The Right Piece Of Steak The Quality Of Your Final Product Depends On Your Starting Ingredients
Finding the best product you can get your hands on is always the hardest part of cooking a great steak, says Ryan Prentiss. Hes executive chef at Prime + Proper steakhouse in Detroit, Michigan. There’s really only three things in my opinion that make for a good grilled steak: Beef, salt and fire.
He goes on to explain: We only work with USDA Prime beef, which is the highest grade of beef available, and accounts for only 1.5% of the beef in the nation. Fat is flavor, so look for beef that looks plump, bright red and has the most marbling. Marbling is the intramuscular fat present in high quality beef that gives it a marbled appearance. Grain-fed or grain finished beef will have more marbling than a grass-fed beef.
On aged steak:
If you’re lucky enough to be able to find a butcher that has dry-aged beef,” Prentiss says. “I highly recommend trying anything aged from 15 to 30 days until you become acquainted with the flavor.
Chef Joe Cervantez agrees, specifying that steaks eat best at 23 to 28 days. Hes executive chef at Brennans of Houston. Most steaks from the grocery store are aged 14 days, he says. If youre up for trying your hand at aging and are lucky enough to have access to a cryovac, he recommends packing the meat in an airtight seal until it hits at least 23 days.
On cuts and thickness:
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Steak Temperatures For Doneness:
- Rare : 125 degrees
- Medium rare : 135 degrees
- Medium : 145 degrees
- Medium well : 150 degrees
- Well done : 160 degrees
Steak sizzling on a grill
Let the steaks rest on a platter for at least five minutes, then top them with big fat slices of herb butter.
Juicy grilled steak perfection!! That salty-seasoned crust and compound herb butter are mind meltingly-delicious. Your quest for perfect grilled steak ends right here. Enjoy, enjoy!
Grilling The Perfect Steak
Editors Note: This is a guest post from AoM reader and friend Cameron Ming. Cameron is an award-winning barbequer and griller here in Oklahoma.
One of the closest links between man and beast is our love for meat. But what should separate us from mere animals is the manner in which that meat is cooked. Sadly, just because youre human doesnt mean youre eating your meat any better than a beast.
Grilling a steak truly is like art: lots of people can draw, but not everyone is Michelangelo. Most of us will never make masterpieces at home, but getting close is much more simple than you think. Properly grilling a steak will separate you from the majority of the guys on the block and might even impress the ladies. But more important than showing up the fellas, you owe it to yourself to prepare the meat in the best way possible. Its a matter of respect, Id say.
Here are 5 simple tips to get you on track to painting your Meaty Sistine Chapel.
1.Choose your meat wisely. The meat is absolutely the most important part of the process. And knowing what cut you like will open your eyes to endless possibilities. Most people think the filet or tenderloin is the best cut. It is probably the most tender, but best is up for debate. Filets sacrifice flavor for tenderness and usually rely on some outside agent to give them a stronger flavor. Ribeyes have killer flavor but tend to be on the fatty side. The New York Strip falls somewhere in between.
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Th Step: Check The Temperature
Checking the temperature of the meat is vital if you want to enjoy steak thats cooked to your personal liking. This entails knowing when to remove the steak from the grill, and this method guarantees the end result of the steak is cooked to the temperature you desire.
You can utilize either dial thermometers or digital thermometers for this task. Nonetheless, digital thermometers are faster, thus more suitable to use. All you need to do is to place the tip of a digital thermometer into the steak. While inserting the thermometer, you need to avoid the bone.
Electric grills are diverse in their features, and its important to research the amount of time a particular model will take to cook the steak. Furthermore, its important to recognize that the amount of time a grill takes to cook steak depends on other factors as well. Still, if you follow the tips and tricks we provided, youll be more than okay.
From The Right Temperature To Resting Time
It seems that people approach grilling steak one of two ways: either in a casual manner or paying perhaps too much attention. Some will heat the grill with abandon, throw the steaks on, flip once, then pull them off, and serve others will fret and worry, cutting into the meat every two seconds wringing their hands over whether the meat is done or not. Both techniques do have some merits but a method somewhere in the middle is ideal.
Grilling a delicious steak is easy, as long as you follow a few simple steps. As with anything, a bit of practice always helps, too. Follow some advice, grill a few steaks, and you’ll be serving up perfectly cooked juicy steaks in no time.
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Always Let The Meat Rest
Perhaps the most important step that most people don’t do is allowing the steaks to sit once they are taken off of the grill. The steaks need to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving or cutting them. This gives the juices a chance to redistribute throughout the steak, which both helps it finish cooking evenly and keeps the meat moister and more flavorful. Place the cooked steaks on a cutting board or platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Once rested, either slice or serve the steaks whole.
Charcoal Or Gas Grill
Grilling a Wagyu steak requires advanced technique and confidence since the heat is high and less forgiving. Make sure to preheat your grill before placing the Wagyu steak on it this will help you keep track of the cooking time to ensure the perfect sizzle.
Its important to pat your Wagyu with a paper towel before you cook it, or it will take longer to cook and not fulfill its potential. After gently blotting it, then you can season it to your preferences.
Heres where the instructions split. Depending on the thickness of your Wagyu, the cooking time will vary. For example, a cut that is ½ inch thick will take much less time to cook than a thicker piece. Dont forget that Wagyu takes a shorter time to cook than Angus beef due to its fat content. The fat content cooks the Wagyu internally in a way that Angus does not.
When deciding on a cook time, ask your butcher or meat provider for their recommendation. Every cut will be different. Just make sure to rotate the steak 90 degrees to achieve those signature cross-stitch grill marks.
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