What’s the best way to cook steak? It’s the million-dollar question with more techniques out there than you can poke a meat thermometer at. From salting to resting, every meat eater will have an opinion on what makes the perfect steak. But is there one single way to cook steak that’s better than the others? Show
The answer, as is with most complicated questions is: it depends. Consider your personal preferences – do you like a nice crust on the outside or is an even temperature throughout more important to you? Do you prefer a buttery flavour or a smokey flavour? What cut of steak are you cooking? Is it dry-aged? How many people are you cooking for and how many steaks are you cooking? And just how much (or little) equipment and tools do you have at hand? These can all factor into deciding how you cook a steak. We asked four steak experts – a fourth generation farmer, a food operations manager of a steakhouse, a private dining chef and a home cook steak aficionado – to find out how they prepare a knockout steak. For the purposes of this article, the cut in mind is a ribeye on the bone, about 2-inches thick, cooked to a nice medium-rare. We also excluded sous vide from our cooking methods, limiting the options to stovetop and grill. Let’s take a look at the four methods recommended by our steak experts. Lachlan Graham, fourth generation farmer from NSW who has raised cattle his whole life. Lachlan runs the Argyle Smokehouse & Butcheryin Sydney:On seasoning: On bringing steak to room temperature: On
cooking methods: Don’t be scared to give the steak some heat – you should hear your steak sizzle when it hits the pan. Give it a flip once it forms a nice crust on the outside and then take it off the heat just before it is cooked to your preferred doneness. Remember, steak will continue cooking while it rests, so allow it to reach perfection off the pan and on the plate. On restaurant vs home cooking: On letting your steak rest: Thomas Godfrey, chef and food operations manager at The Meat & Wine Co in Sydney:On
seasoning: It’s always good to have at least two types of salt on hand when cooking – a cheap table salt for seasoning water; a good quality flaked salt for seasoning meat; and a finer sea salt for finishing food and seasoning salads. Cheaper salts are aggressively salty and easy to overuse, whereas more expensive salts have a much more complex flavour. My personal favourites? Olson and Moldon. You can pick them up for a good price and the difference in taste is huge. If you want pepper, use a coarse grind – otherwise add it after the steaks are cooked. On bringing steak to room temperature: Get your steak out ahead of time – about 30-40 minutes is usually ample for a 500g steak. Time and patience are your best friend when cooking steak (or most meat, for that matter). On cooking methods: For the perfect home cooked steak you need a quality, heavy based pan. Cast iron is best. The one mistake most people make when cooking meat at home is a light, flimsy pan – it just won’t hold the heat. Drizzle a little oil on your seasoned steak and rub it in with your hands. Get your pan nice and hot, and place the steak in the pan. You should hear a good sizzle! Remember, cooking times are subjective and really do depend on how thick your steak is, but for a 2 inch rib eye you want to cook it for about 4 minutes on each side. If you have a meat thermometer, you’re looking for a temperature of 52°C / 125°F. Add butter or herbs to the pan and use a spoon to baste the juices over your steak during the last minute. On restaurant vs home cooking: On letting your
steak rest: Zac Sykes, former head chef turned private dining chef in Brisbane:On seasoning: On bringing steak to room temperature: On cooking methods: On restaurant vs home cooking: On letting your steak rest: Chase Larson, avid home cook and steak lover from Colorado:On seasoning: In the preparation process I only use salt, no pepper or other seasonings. Only salt has any affect on the meat – I find other seasonings can burn and leave a bitter taste during the searing process. On bringing steak to room temperature: On cooking methods: Take the steak from the fridge and put it into the oven on a wire rack at a low temperature of 100°C / 212°F for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 46°C / 114°F. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet because you get more browning. By bringing the steak to temperature slowly, this dries the outside and cooks the meat perfectly from edge to edge. Then, you can get a really hard sear at the end. Add a bit of oil to a screaming hot cast iron pan on the stove top. Add the steak and a knob of butter to the pan at the same time and cook for about a minute on each side until well browned. Thinner cuts are fine cooked at one temperature, but I find it necessary to cook at two temperatures for a 2-inch cut to get it perfectly medium rare from edge to edge, with a hard sear. On letting your steak rest: My go-to sauces are bearnaise and chimichurri. Add some black pepper and finishing salt to serve (something flakey, like Maldon). Once you’ve mastered the art of the perfect steak, check out our recipes for quick steak sauces and sides. How long do you cook a 1A 1-inch to 1 ½-inch steak, like sirloin steak, typically takes about 8-10 minutes to grill to medium-rare. If cooking to medium, expect the steak to take 10-12 minutes to cook. Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature before removing your steak from the grill.
How long to cook steak on both sides for medium well?Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F).
How long cook steak on each side pan hear?Heat cast iron pan to medium-high; melt 2 tablespoons of butter in pan. Once butter is simmering (NOT smoking- don't let it get too hot otherwise your steak will burn!) add steak. Sear 2-3 minute on each side, or until 130 degrees internally.
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