It took me many trips to various butchers and several repetitions in the kitchen until I reached a level of satisfaction with my grilled steak and a level that will be compared to when you visit famous steakhouses.
Today we’ll learn about the formula for baking your perfect steak includes three parameters: steak cutting, seasoning, and cooking process with help of grill accessories.
For cutting and grilling a perfect steak you can follow the steps given below.
Several cutting processes for your steak
Many criteria must be taken into account when choosing the cutting of meat. one of these is the origin of the steak (for example, Brazilian beef, Australian beef, or the so-called “local” beef here in the UAE). Once again, choosing a steak from a specific background depends on personal taste.
The type of steak cutter is the main factor for a satisfying experience when cooking steaks at home. Depending on the amount of fat and how it is distributed, the chopped steak will have different tenderness and special tastes. There are four common types of steak pieces on any steakhouse menu
Fillet
Often called “Filet mignon”, it is the most extensive piece of steak, due to its mild taste and the minimal amount of fat included. It is my favorite choice.
New York
It is often referred to as the “top sirloin”. This cut is less tender compared to the lumbar region, with a little fat marble along the entire length, giving it a nice meaty taste.
Ribeye
I consider it the best choice for the hardcore “Carnivore”. Sold with T-shaped bone, with meat on both sides. This piece has plenty of marble fat, making it extremely tender and juicy, with a meaty taste.
Spice or ingredients for tastier steak
As for the spices, a real meat lover would prefer his steak to taste great, so I suggest using just a pinch of pepper and sea salt to season a piece of meat, leaving it for fifteen minutes before cooking. Once your steak is ready to eat, you can enjoy the variety of sauces and dressings available in the market and at any steakhouse, but just use pepper and sea salt for baking.
Grilling Process of Steak
When it comes to the cooking process, there are two basic styles: grilling and grilling. Grilling requires fewer parameters to control and is, therefore, easier to master. In this article, I will focus on what I have real experience with, which is grilling.
Tools Needed
For grilling, you need three main types (besides a nice piece of steak): a pan, oil pastel, and steak tongs.
I recommend using a non-stick pan, the right size to leave enough space around the piece of steak. To spread, you can use regular frying oil or better yet use a sprayed grill, which spreads more easily throughout the pan. When it comes to steak tongs, it is advisable to choose one that is large enough to hold the steak firmly, but not too large to make it difficult to turn the steak piece during baking.
Kitchen Style
An important thing to know is the steak cooking styles. The cooking style, known as “Doneness” steak, affects the color and tenderness of the steak piece, as well as its taste. As a general rule of thumb, leaving a piece of steak on the fire longer makes it darker in color and harder to touch. There are five common steak cooking styles
Strange
I think this is the cooking style for a true “sarcophagus”. The steak piece is almost raw. A rare steak is a golden brown on the sides and bright red in the middle.
Moderately Rare
Most of the center of the steak piece should be pink with a hint of red. The sides should be nicely browned, top and bottom caramelized in dark brown with good grill marks.
Medium
This is the common level of readiness often accepted by all. I recommend baking this style when cooking for a party or family gathering. The steak piece will have a thick light pink ribbon in the middle, but more golden than pink. The sides should be deep brown and the top and bottom should be dark charred, but not black.
Half Well
This is the preferred level of cooking, with a hint of pink in the center of the steak. The surface should be dark brown with good charring up and down. This steak will be very hard, but will still have a slightly spongy feel in the center.
Well Done
For true meat lovers, this is the least popular level of cooking. On the other hand, this is the most popular choice for people who eat steak occasionally and feel more comfortable with the “Safe” option. This level of cooking is achieved only by slowly cooking. The steak piece is at a relatively low temperature until no trace of blush or hue is left. While the outside is golden brown without a trace of burning (Easy to report, difficult to achieve)
Finger Test To Determine Steak Readiness
To keep things simple, I will not give any indication of how long you will bake each side of the steak piece, at what temperature for a given thickness, or a specific steak cut. I will explain to you a simpler method, called the “Finger Test” that is used to understand a certain level of cooking steak.
With your hand open, press the meat into your hand (under your thumb) with your finger, use the feel of the meat under your finger as a comparison when touching the steak while cooking:
Press with your index finger, the feeling compares to the rare steak cooking style.
Push with your middle finger, the feeling compares to the medium-rare cooking style of the steak.
Down with your finger, the feeling compares to the medium well-made steak style
Hold down with your little finger, the feeling compares to the well-made cooking style of a steak.