Please help! How do I cook steak?

littleredhen

yes - cook for several hours on a low heat in the oven with a nice red wine gravy - alternatively tenderise the meat beforehand by wacking it with a rolling pin then cook quickly in a very hot pan - leave for a minute or 2 after cooking to let the meat rest

tinkerbell84

hot pan is vital.

good meat is vital (i only ever use fillet steak). braising steak is for very slow cooking.


use your finger to test when it is ready (never stab it with a knife) - when it feels like your cheek it is rare, like your chin it's medium, and like your forehead it's well done.

a knob of butter to deglaze the pan (with the steaks still in)

and then take the steaks out and LEAVE THEM TO REST FOR A MINUTE. (if you cut straight into it all the juice will run out. resting makes the juices stay in the meat).

and you have perfect steak.

(i'm veggie and have never eaten a steak, but my carnivorous family reckon my steaks are the best :beer: )

arkonite_babe

I use the 10 minute rule for cooking steak.

1 minute each side then rest for 8 minutes for a bleu steak

2 minutes each side then rest for 6 minutes for a rare steak

2.5 minutes each side then rest for 5 minutes for a medium rare steak

3 minutes per then rest for 4 minutes for a medium steak

3.5 minutes each side then rest for 3 minutes for a medium to well done steak

4 minutes each side then rest for 2 minutes for a well done steak


I use a cast iron pan and a drizzle of oil in bottom over a medium to hot heat.

Finish the steak with a small knob of butter melted in during the last minute of cooking.

**Don't forget to rest the steak on a warm plate before you eat it, this is what allows the juices to settle back into the meat, the remaining juices can be poured back into the pan to deglaze and make a scrummy gravy**


HTH

Pink.

Hi carol,

What cuts have you been using? Are you sure that they are suitable for grilling or frying?

When cooking a steak I always rub it with oil, season it with pepper and cook it in a hot frying pan. It needs to be cooked quite quickly and then left in a warm place for at least 10 minutes to rest. This allows the meat to relax and the juices to disperse through the meat.

For braising steak as has been said above it needs long slow cooking. These older threads should help:

Need ideas for using braising steak!

Just Loving it! My New Slow Cooker Braising Steak Ideas?

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nearlyrich

Buy decent meat from a good butcher, it needs to have been hung for about three weeks. Prepacked meat tends to be wet and sort of broils in the water that comes out in the pan which is not very nice.

Heat griddle pan on high heat whack steak on when it's really hot.

My son worked in a hotel whilst at uni and a chef told him all steak needs the same "cooking" time, you take it off and let it stand for rare to medium rare and leave it on the heat if you want it medium to well done. He is on holiday so I can't ask him but I think it's a total of 6 minutes. We buy rib eye or sirloin usually and we never have any problems with toughness etc.

kunekune

My method is to brown it in a very hot pan and then put it in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes. I use guess work and how it feels when I press it gently (I like my steak rare-blue). It is easier to get the timing right with the oven method, and you can do longer pre-cooking for one piece than the other. If steak is tough, it is likely either cooked too slowly or not good steak. I usually use fillet if it is important to be tender, it is worth the extra price and you don't need much. I have never had tough fillet in my life.

kittynortheast

I couldn't cook steak, then I bought some good quality steak(I also haven't had a bad bit of fillet), it wasn't that I couldn't cook it, it was the quality of meat, melted in the mouth, I think with meat and veg, you get what you pay for, you can cut costs easily in other areas which is what I (try!!!) to do!!

pokemon151

Let me give you my unprofessional opinion. Im South African and we love love steak. The rarer the better.
Buying meat should be a brown colour, not red. The browner the more mature and more tender. Ideally mature for 16 days. What that means is the meat is hung for 16 days before it is packed into a bag for selling.
When the pan is hot place your meat into it and when you see the blood/redness on the top of the meat, turn it and repeat the process. That will give you a medium steak. Take a sharp knife and slit the middle of the steak to check its texture, that way getting to know how you want it. Remember the longer you leave it on the serving plate the mor eit is cooking so eat it as soon as you can.
For well done (uuhh) just forget it and when you smell smoke take it off.

msmicawber

If it isn't sirloin or minute steak that can be fried or grilled, then searing it quickly on a hot frying pan and cooking it in the oven wrapped in foil for an hour or so is a very good way to make sure it's cooked, but tender. It never hurts to marinade it first for at least 20 mins in a little oil and pepper with a little dash of lemon juice to tenderise. You can add sliced onions, mushrooms and peppers as well for extra flavour if you like the idea.

Even with the cuts of steak which are intended for frying or grilling I always marinade first, then blot off the marinade with kitchen paper before cooking. I've found it also helps to ensure the meat is at room temperature before cooking rather than taking it from the fridge to the pan.

Pink.

Hi carol,

I've just found an older thread with lots of tips on cooking steak so I've added your thread to it to keep all the replies together.

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