Mastering The Grill: Our Tips For Cooking The Perfect Steak
When it comes to how to cook a good steak, you’ll find tens of thousands of videos from chefs all over the world who claim they’ve got their secret ways. Whether it’s a solid amount of butter and oil, the right cut of meat, the tenderisation process, or a mix of methods, everyone has their way of cooking the perfect steak.
At Melrina, we’ve been supplying wholesale meats from some of Australia’s most respected farmers since 1987, so we know a thing or two about selecting the right piece of meat for your perfect steak. Here are our recommendations when it comes to whipping up that mouth-watering steak for Saturday night dinner.
Choosing The Right Meat Cut For Your Steak
Before any frypans start to sizzle or gas starts to burn, it’s best you know just what cut of meat you plan to use, since there is a difference between them. Some of the most popular cuts for your steak can include the following.
Rump Steak
Rump steak is a popular choice that you’ll usually find at your local pub due to its great value, beefy flavour (of course) and firm texture. It’s also versatile, holding up great as a traditional steak or being cut and tossed into a stir fry. Taken from the hindquarter and the muscle above the hip bone of the animal, it’s a widely available type of beef.
Sirloin Steak
Also known as the porterhouse steak or New York steak, sirloin steaks tend to be leaner, more tender, richer in flavour and juicier than a rump. The bone-in version of the sirloin is commonly known as the t-bone steak, with two different textures and flavour experiences thanks to the tender muscle on one side and the tasty sirloin on the other.
Fillet Steak
Going by a few names – including eye fillet and tenderloin – this cut of beef is known for its tenderness, making it a very popular choice when you’re looking up how to cook good steak. Very lean but with a more subtle flavour profile, fillet steak is a great choice for a delightful meal.
Scotch Fillet Steak
Another beef cut with multiple names (you will also see it called a boneless rib eye or rib fillet), this cut will provide you with great marbling and is best suited to pan frying or a traditional barbecue.
How To Cook A Good Steak – The Melrina Way
Now that you’ve chosen your portion of meat (preferably between 3cm and 4cm for the most optimum cooking), it’s time to cook. While how to cook a steak may vary depending on your cut, most chefs and home cooks can agree on particular steps that really help your beef sing.
1. Bring The Steak To Room Temperature
This is a very important step in the steak making process, since cooking a steak straight from the fridge leads to uneven cooking due to the inside of the steak being colder and requiring more time to cook. This means a raw outside and an underdone inside! So, be sure to give your steak time to come to room temperature.
2. Salt Before You Cook
Want to bring even more flavour out of your steak? Curing with salt is a great way to do this – just make sure you wipe off the access before the steak is introduced to the pan. This is because adding salt to the steak draws out the moisture. The salt then dissolves in this moisture, creating a brine that is reabsorbed back into the steak. During this process, the lean muscle proteins in the meat are broken down, made juicier and more tender. Be sure to allow the steak to cure for at least a couple of hours before cooking.
3. Turn Up The Heat
You want your frying pan to be moderately hot before you start adding in the steak. It’s argued that the best pans for cooking steaks are heavy-based pans such as stainless steel or cast-iron, since they can withstand higher temperatures than non-stick pans. An even heat is always best, no matter what pan you have or use.
4. Add The Oil
In terms of oil, it is best to use a flavourless oil with a high smoking point such as vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil or avocado oil. Add a good amount to your pan. If you’re chasing the richness of butter, you can add this after you’ve first flipped your steaks. When the oil is hot, add the steaks to the pan and cook for 2 and a half minutes (longer if you want more firmness), or until golden on the underside.
5. Turn Your Steaks (And Add Other Flavours If You Wish)
Once you’ve done your first flip, you can add your butter or herbs if you wish. Adding the additional herbs and other flavours (such as the butter we mentioned) at this step is the most reliable way to get the flavour you want, but you can marinade prior to cooking as well.
6. Once Cooked, Let It Rest
Once you have your steak cooked to your liking (it will be soft for a rare steak, springy for a medium steak, and firm for well-done), it’s time to let them rest. Many people underestimate just how important this step is, which gives time for the meat’s muscle fibres to relax – if you were to immediately cut into the steak, all of the delicious juices escape. To avoid this, rest the steak for about five minutes in a warm place: the meat will relax and reabsorb all those juices, giving you a tender, juicy steak.
Now, you’ve figured out how to cook a good steak. It really doesn’t take much more than this! However, you can always elevate your steak with homemade sauces and toppers – it’s all about getting the base just right. And the best base starts at Melrina, with our exceptional producers of Australia beef, lamb and more.