Text: Egor Kaznacheev
Photo: Nikolay Gulakov

Our expert

Chef of the Moscow Torro Grill restaurants Kirill Martynenko.

“We will make the best-selling ribeye steak in the world,” said our expert, chef of the Moscow Torro Grill restaurants Kirill Martynenko, opening the refrigerator. “It’s a classic because when people say the word steak, they usually mean ribeye.”

“It’s difficult to fry thick steaks at home. - Kirill continues. - There is a high risk that a 7–10 cm piece will not be cooked, or will be cooked unevenly, or will be completely overcooked. To determine doneness, cooks use meat thermometers and other tricks. An inexperienced person will not be able to determine the degree of readiness of meat by eye. But if you do decide to cook a large steak, follow our advice, and then put it in the oven to finish cooking.”

Shopping list

“You need to take either an already cut steak or a special cut from the supracostal part of the carcass,” Kirill admonishes. In this case, the beef should be marbled (with a large amount of white fatty inclusions - they are what give the meat its taste) and in no case frozen. It’s also not worth overpaying for steamed beef. “In order for the fibers to become softer, the meat must be aged for at least two weeks. The ideal temperature inside the refrigerator is zero degrees,” the expert assures. Choose Australian or American meat. The bulls there are raised specifically for steaks and fed wheat and corn, which makes the tenderloin marbled (read: high-quality and tasty). It is unlikely that you will be able to find out the age of the animal you are buying, but know: the bull must be slaughtered at 12–20 months of life.

● Sunflower and butter

● Black pepper and salt

● Greens (at your discretion)

● Washing powder

It is not needed for steak, we just decided to remind you so that you don’t forget again.

How to do

“Beef is the only meat that has several degrees of doneness, and they can be clearly controlled,” says the expert. We decided not to go into the professional subtleties of the chefs and, showing an undemanding but human taste, asked for a medium-rare steak (the chefs call it medium). Here are instructions for repeating Kirill's feat.

1

Look at the cut and decide how much meat you want to eat. “For high-quality cooking, the steak should be no thinner than three and no thicker than ten centimeters,” says Kirill. The standard thickness of a steak ranges from 3–5 cm (our piece has 3.5 cm).

2

Cut it off. “So that the meat does not lose its juice and taste, and the cooking process does not drag on, it must be cut strictly across the grain,” warns our consultant. Finally sharpen your knives and take the larger one. You need to cut the steak in one motion: this is the only way the surface of the piece will be almost perfectly smooth. This is necessary for the same thing as cutting across the grain.

3

4

Pepper the piece on both sides. However, do not try to rub every pepper into the meat, as this will only dull the taste of the beef. The same can be said about spices in general, so they, with the exception of pepper, are not used at all.

5

We grilled the steak. Since you have a gas stove at home instead (ha ha!), take a thick (ideally special for steaks) cast iron or aluminum frying pan and, after heating it well, put the steak. “If you use a thin frying pan, the piece of meat will cool it down, and the meat will not fry, but will cook in its own juices,” says the expert. Fry the steak on each side for 4 minutes.

6

Ready? Now transfer the piece to a hot (but no longer hot) frying pan or baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 150 °C. However, you can simply reduce the heat and continue frying the meat in the same pan. In this case, be careful: you won’t burn the steak, but there is a risk of overcooking it.

7

Salt the steak. “Don’t be too lazy to dilute the salt in boiling water in advance. Dissolved salt will penetrate the meat better than loose salt. In addition, you can brew herbs in a bottle with water and salt. For example, thyme and rosemary,” the chef winks.

8

Periodically brush the steak with melted butter in the microwave. “It will make the crust softer,” explains the expert. Add finely chopped herbs to the oil. However, this is not necessary.

9

A steak of standard thickness should be kept on fire for about 16 minutes. Eight of them have already passed. Spend the remaining eight turning the meat every two minutes.

10

“After removing from the heat, the steak should rest in the pan for 2-3 minutes. This is a kind of time-out, during which the juice is evenly distributed throughout the entire piece,” says Kirill.
“Since meat is a substantial meal, and steak is a hefty piece, a light side dish is needed,” says the expert. - Lettuce leaves and grilled vegetables (or just vegetables) are suitable. The classic in the form of mashed potatoes is a heavier option, but it will do if you are very hungry.”

Sauces
“The best sauces for steak are creamy sauces, such as mushroom, as well as pepper or tomato-based sauces. Another good addition is pesto sauces, when herbs and butter are mixed in a blender,” says Kirill and warns that sweet and sour sauces, no matter how much you love them, absolutely do not go well with beef.

Beverages
“A win-win combination is steak with dry red wine. They optimally reveal each other’s taste,” says our consultant. However, if you don’t like wine, you can stick to good beer. Preferably on varieties with a bright taste (ideally creek or ale). For those who are driving, suggest limiting yourself to a glass of water (can be carbonated) or tomato juice. Other drinks are dangerous because they will interrupt the taste of the meat.

Proper preparation of delicious meat dishes is sometimes called a kind of science. Not only experienced cooks, but also beginners can comprehend it. The question of how to cook beef steak is asked by many housewives. This, it would seem, is not the most difficult dish to prepare; it requires the most attentive approach. A very important condition for successful cooking is the correct choice of beef. 90% of the success of your culinary event depends on this. Here are some tips to help you choose the basis for a juicy and nutritious dish.

How to choose and buy beef

In retail chains you can find ready-made portioned pieces intended for steak. If you want to cook this dish deliciously, it is not recommended to give them preference. Before choosing, decide how you will cook the meat: on the bone or without. Chefs compare selecting meat for a steak to a creative process. If you follow the same principle, the likelihood that the dish will turn out delicious will greatly increase.

What part of beef is steak made from?

For different types of steaks, certain parts of beef are preferred. If you are going to cook a rib steak or porterhouse, parts of the subscapular or neck portion of the carcass will do. What cut of beef should I use for rib steak? According to experienced cooks, the thick edge of the longissimus muscle with a small rib bone will do. For sirloin steak, neck, marbled beef or loin are suitable. If you're wondering how to choose meat for a traditional boneless steak, look for tender sirloin cuts with minimal fat and connective tissue.

Beef tenderloin - the best meat for steak

Neck, rump, and shoulder are good options when choosing steak meat, but beef tenderloin, the long muscle of the inner back, is best suited for the classic version of the dish. It has a delicate, delicate structure and during cooking the degree of frying is easy to control. When choosing a tenderloin, it is important not to fall for the tricks of cunning sellers and not to purchase the flesh from the inside of the leg under its guise. A true tenderloin has a distinct head and membrane. Its structure is loose and has large fibers.

The right marinade for the dish

An important question is how to marinate meat. The marinade will soften it, give it a piquant aroma, and keep it fresh. The main acid for the marinade is acid. You can use vinegar (preferably natural), wine, citrus juices. The acidic environment softens the meat fibers, and the dish turns out tender regardless of the degree of frying. Olive and other vegetable oils added to the marinade retain the juices in the meat. It is recommended to supplement the beef marinating liquid with basil, dill, oregano, rosemary, red, black or cayenne pepper, and mustard seeds.

How long to fry meat for different degrees of doneness

Different types of steaks are classified according to the degree of doneness. In cooking, the following varieties of this dish are distinguished:

• Very rare or meat with blood. When cooking, the meat is heated to 40-45 degrees. It has a slight crust, but is almost raw inside.
• Rare. This is the same traditional rare steak, but with the meat aged longer. The edges are fried and there is a clear line of pink inside.
• Medium Rare. The steak is without blood, but has bright pink juice.
• Medium. Medium is medium-rare meat with light pink juice.
• Medium Well. The meat is well fried and has clear juice.
• Well Done. Well-done meat with almost no juice.

How to cook beef steak: the best recipes with photos

Many factors depend on the method of preparing steak: not only taste, toughness, but also the calorie content of the dish, its compatibility with various side dishes. Several recipes presented below will allow any cook to prepare delicious juicy meat, choose the right spices, and the method of heat treatment. Where you fry the steak (in a slow cooker, electric grill, on the grill, etc.) is a significant point that influences the cooking process. All important nuances are reflected in the step-by-step home recipes below.

Marbled beef on a grill pan

Steak in a frying pan is a kind of golden classic of cooking, and if marbled meat is used, the dish turns into a delicacy. It can pleasantly diversify the daily home menu or become the highlight of the holiday table. Finding marbled beef is not always easy, but if you are lucky enough to get your hands on this variety, be sure to try the recipe below.

To prepare a delicious juicy marbled beef steak in a grill pan, you will need the following products:

• 700-1000 grams of marbled meat;
• a mixture of ground red, black and white pepper;
• herbs. The optimal set for this dish is a mixture of thyme, tarragon, basil, thyme and rosemary;
• sea ​​salt;
• olive oil (extra virgin is not recommended).

The cooking process includes the following steps:

1. The beef is cut into pieces approximately 1.5-2 centimeters thick.
2. Salt, pepper and a mixture of herbs are rubbed into the pieces.
3. The preparations are greased with olive oil.
4. The frying pan is heated at maximum heat for 2.5-3 minutes.
5. The meat is laid out in a frying pan. Each piece is evenly fried for 3 minutes and then turned over.
6. The steaks are fried for another 3 minutes.
7. The pan is placed in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 5 minutes.

How to fry beef steak at home in the oven

Cooking a dish in the oven is an opportunity to make the meat structure more tender, as well as reduce its fat content and calorie content. If you decide to bake a steak for two, stock up on the following products:

• 2 portions weighing approximately 250-300 grams;
• 2 small onions;
• a tablespoon of honey;
• 70-80 ml dry white wine;
• 2 medium cloves of garlic;
• a teaspoon of grated ginger root;
• a tablespoon of soy sauce.

Cooking process:

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
2. Mix soy sauce, ginger, onion and garlic mixture, honey, wine.
3. Place pre-washed steaks into the resulting marinade and leave for approximately 2-3 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
5. Place the steaks in the oven, frying on each side for 5-7 minutes.
6. Bring the remaining marinade to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken it.
7. Place the finished steaks on a plate and pour over the resulting sauce.

Barbecue on coals with a side dish of vegetables

Grilled beef steak is one of the best meat dishes for cooking outdoors. Complete with the perfect side dish of barbecue vegetables, it will provide a gastronomic delight to even the most discerning gourmet. Get a spray bottle of water in advance to regulate the heat of the coals. To prepare the dish (for 4 people) you will need the following ingredients:

• 4 pieces of beef 200 grams each;
• seasonings to taste;
• 1 onion;
• 6 tablespoons of soy sauce;
• 4 minced garlic cloves;
• 100 ml olive oil.

For garnish:

• 2 eggplants;
• 8 medium potatoes;
• 2 bell peppers;
• 400 g cherry tomatoes.

Cooking method:

1. Finely chopped onion, chopped garlic, spices, olive oil and soy sauce are mixed.
2. Steaks are placed in the marinade. The meat is infused for 3 hours.
3. Potatoes are cut into slices, eggplants into rings, peppers are cut into 4 parts.
4. The grill is lit. After the coals have burned, place the meat on the grill and fry for about 10 minutes on each side.
5. 10 minutes after the start of cooking, potatoes and eggplants are laid out on the grill, and after another 5 minutes, tomatoes and peppers.

Recipe for a delicious sauce for a dish

What better way to highlight the unique flavor of a well-done steak than a delicious sauce? A good gourmet option is red wine sauce. For this sauce you will need:

• dry red wine - 400 g;
• several sprigs of thyme;
• 50 gr. butter;
• 4 tablespoons olive oil;
• 2 red onions;
• a set of seasonings to taste.

The sauce is prepared as follows:

1. Finely chopped onions are sautéed in olive oil.
2. When it acquires a golden hue, wine is poured in.
3. Thyme and other spices are added, the mixture is stirred, and evaporated until the liquid is reduced by half.
4. Remove the sauce from the heat, add salt, pepper and butter.
5. The finished mixture is cooled and served with finely chopped fresh herbs.
6. This sauce is in perfect harmony with all types of steak and perfectly highlights their delicate taste.

Video

Steaks can be cooked not only on an open fire, in a frying pan or in the oven. A tasty, nutritious and low-calorie dish can also be prepared in a slow cooker. This device has a user-friendly interface and a sufficient number of modes to cook the perfect steak. Take advantage of the video master class, which is easy to implement using a device from Redmond. With this cooking, you can easily monitor the condition of the meat and regulate the process of frying the steak. The video tutorial has a convenient step-by-step form, accessible to cooks with any level of experience:

Calories: Not specified
Cooking time: Not indicated

My family loves steak, especially my men. Today I want to tell you how to fry a beef steak so that it is tasty, soft and juicy. Cooking the right steak is not so difficult, and you don’t need to have fancy devices in the form of different thermometers, you just need to know a few basic rules. The main thing is to buy a good piece of beef for making steaks. By the way, you can also cook very tasty from pork.

- ribeye steak - 800 g,
- sea salt - to taste,
- pepper, h.m. - taste,
- olive oil - 1 tsp.

Cooking time 20 minutes \Number of servings 3.

Recipe with photos step by step:

As I already wrote above, the main thing is to buy a good piece of beef for cooking steak. I really like ribeye steak, or, more simply, entrecote. My family prefers the degree of doneness to medium, that is, not very raw but not completely cooked. And now I will show you how I prepare medium-frying at home without special equipment.
First of all, you need to remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature. Under no circumstances should you fry meat when it is cold. We take the meat out of the packaging and place it on paper towels.




The beef should be thoroughly dried with paper towels, it should be completely dry.




We give the meat some more time to stand; juice may still come out of it.




Cut the meat across the grain into three portions 2-2.5 centimeters thick.






The pan needs to be heated thoroughly, it should be very hot. Using a silicone brush, lightly grease the pan with olive oil. Place the steaks in a hot frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.




Turn the steaks over and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes. This step must be repeated twice. That is, the steak is cooked on both sides for 5-6 minutes. It’s better to set the time on the oven timer, then the procedure for cooking steak becomes even easier.




The finished steaks must be allowed to rest before serving; place them on a convenient dish and only now season thoroughly with medium-ground sea salt and pepper.




Cover the steaks with a deep plate on top and leave for 8-10 minutes.






During this time, the steaks will release light juice; if you boil it down, it can make a delicious gravy.
The finished steak is served with a small amount and a salad of fresh vegetables. If the steak is cooked correctly, there will be a pink strip of meat inside when cut.

In world cuisine, there are several dishes, the ability to cook which is a kind of indicator of the professionalism of the cook. Today we will talk about how to fry a beef steak in a frying pan - a dish that is the brightest representative of haute cuisine. Let's figure out all the intricacies of preparing this dish together and learn how to make it no worse than culinary masters.

First of all, you need to understand what kind of meat is used to prepare steaks. It is quite difficult to find varieties of meat such as “striploin” or “ribeye” in regular butcher shops or supermarkets, so the easiest way is to purchase the so-called thick and thin edge.

Of course, they are somewhat different from the types of meat indicated above, but they are quite suitable for home cooking. If you wish, you can order original cuts in vacuum packaging, which are available in specialized stores.

Main degrees of doneness of beef steaks

One steak contains almost eight different dishes, because the degree of roasting of the beef tenderloin determines the taste, juiciness, and texture of the meat. Each degree of roasting, according to the international standard, has its own name in English and indicates the degree of readiness of the dish. A certain type of steak has its own temperature inside the piece, as well as the time and method of frying it.

In world cuisine, five main degrees of roasting of steaks are standardly used. Although the first degree of Raw is often divided into 3 classifications.

As a result, the expanded map includes eight degrees of heat treatment of beef steak:

1. Raw- this is a completely raw piece of tenderloin, which would not be included in the classification of steaks at all if it were not used in traditional Italian cuisine to prepare carpaccio.
2. Blue rare Although it is considered the second degree of roasting of a steak, it is used very rarely and then only for lovers of raw meat. Fry a piece of beef for just a few seconds on both sides to give the surface of the dish a ribbed grill pattern.
3. Extra rare– another steak option for lovers of raw meat. The difference in this case is the two-minute frying in a very hot frying pan, during which the piece of meat has time to become crusty on top. However, the inside of the beef remains cool and moist and is red and bloody.
4. Rare- This is one of the popular types of steaks, which is also called “rare meat”. If a five-minute frying allows the outside to give the tenderloin an appetizing gray-brown crust, the inside of the fillet remains raw, and when cut you can see blood juice oozing through the fibers. Rare steak has a temperature inside the piece of no higher than 52°C.
5. Medium rare– the most popular restaurant version of medium-rare beef steak. It is generally accepted that it is the medium rare steak that fully reveals the taste of beef. At high temperature, the tenderloin is fried for 5 minutes on each side. So you won’t see any blood inside, but there is a layer of undercooked meat, because the temperature inside the piece does not rise above 55°C.
6. Medium– classic medium-rare steak. It takes 15 minutes to prepare, during which the meat is constantly turned from side to side. You definitely won’t find any blood in such a steak. But you will get a juicy, tender pink fillet, very soft inside and crispy on the outside. The temperature inside the piece of meat should rise to 63°C.
7. Medium Well. In such a steak you will not find a drop of blood and only the very minimum of juice in the center of the piece, where the meat still retains a pinkish color. The tenderloin takes 20 minutes to fry, and the temperature inside the slice reaches 68°C.
8. Well Done– “sole” - this is what this steak is called in chef’s slang. This is the highest and driest degree of roasting. When cut, the inside of the meat does not ooze juice; it is somewhat tough, has a grayish-brown color and a temperature of 73°C. Despite the fact that Well Done steak best saturates the body with energy due to well-heated proteins, many chefs do not like to cook it, considering this dish to spoil food. The cooking time for this steak is 30 minutes.

Interesting fact. Many cooks do not use thermometers when frying steaks, but rely on tactile sensations.

There is an unspoken technique for determining the degree of doneness of a steak by its softness, and for association, the pad of the thumb on the hand is used in different degrees of tension:

• Raw– the pad is soft when the hand is relaxed.
• Rare– the pad is in slight tension when connecting the thumb with the index finger.
• Medium rare– corresponds to the tension of the pad when connecting the thumb to the middle finger.
• Medium– the pad is dense when connecting the tip of the thumb to the ring finger.
• Well Done. When connecting the thumb to the little finger, the pad is in maximum tension, which corresponds to the toughness of a well-done steak.

Classic beef steak in a frying pan

Ingredients

• - 1 kg + -
• - 3-4 tbsp. + -
• — 100 g + -
• - taste + -
• - taste + -

How to fry beef steak correctly and for how long

It should be said right away that in this and subsequent recipes we will fry the steak until medium rare. This way the meat will remain juicy and soft.

• Rinse the meat well under running cool water. Set it aside for 20-30 minutes so that the piece warms up to room temperature.
• We blot it with paper towels and cut it into layers approximately 2.5 centimeters thick.
• Rub each piece with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub them a little.
• Place a frying pan (regular or grill) on heat, slightly above medium heat. You need to warm it up properly.

To check the degree of heat, drop a little water on its surface: if a droplet begins to quickly evaporate and move along the bottom of the vessel, it means the temperature is normal.

• Place the steaks in the pan. Make sure that the pieces do not touch each other and there is a distance of at least 1-2 centimeters between them.
• Fry the meat for one minute, then use tongs or a spatula to turn it over to the other side and fry the same amount.
• Reduce the heat to slightly less than medium and place the piece back on the original side. Cook the steak for about 2 minutes, turn over, wait another 2 minutes.

• Place a large sheet of foil on a warm plate. Place the prepared steaks on top of it, place a little butter on them, cover with foil and let sit for 4 minutes.

After the specified time, remove the steaks and serve them immediately. This meat should only be eaten hot. Fresh or grilled vegetables are suitable as a side dish.

A simple pan-fried steak recipe

Ingredients

• Beef (with a little fat) – 500 g;
• Salt - to taste;
• Dried rosemary – a pinch;
• Parsley - half a bunch;
• Lemon – ½ fruit;
• Garlic – 1 clove.

How to cook beef steak in a frying pan

1. We wash the meat and let it warm to room temperature.
2. While the meat reaches the desired temperature, let's move on to the other ingredients. Wash the parsley under running water, chop it and pour it into a small container. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon here, and also pass a clove of garlic through a press, mix and set the aromatic mass aside.
3. Blot the piece with paper towels or napkins. Be careful: there is no need to cut off the fat, because it is thanks to it that we will fry the meat.
4. Cut the piece into layers of 2-2.5 centimeters. Rub them with salt and dried rosemary on both sides.
5. Place a cast iron frying pan over high heat and heat it until a characteristic smoke appears.
6. Place the pieces of meat on the surface of the frying pan and fry the beef on both sides for 1-2 minutes until a characteristic crust appears on it.
7. Reduce the heat to medium and, turning the piece every 15-20 seconds, fry it for 5-6 minutes.
8. Place the finished steak on a plate (or wooden tray), and distribute the aromatic mixture of garlic, lemon and parsley on top.

The recipe does not imply simmering such a steak under foil, but you can easily wrap the meat in it and let it sit for a couple of minutes. During this time, the juices will saturate the entire steak - and its taste will only get better.

Marinated beef steak in a frying pan

If you were unable to get a high-quality beef cut, or the pure taste of the meat does not appeal to you much, then you can use this recipe.

Here we pre-marinate our steaks - which will make them even more flavorful, juicy and softer.

Ingredients

• Beef – 800 g;
• Soy sauce – ½ cup;
• Wine vinegar – 1 tbsp;
• Honey – 2 tbsp;
• Granulated garlic – ½ tsp;
• Ground ginger – ½ tsp;
• Sunflower oil – 6 tbsp.

How to fry marinated beef steak

• We wash the meat, cut it into standard layers, 2 centimeters thick, let the excess liquid drain and put it in a deep container.
• Separately mix soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic and ginger. Mix everything, add vegetable oil and bring the mixture until smooth.
• Pour the resulting marinade into the bowl in which the steaks are located, mix everything well. Cover the container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator. The meat should be marinated for 10-12 hours.
• Place the grill pan on maximum heat and heat it until smoking.
• Place the pieces of meat on the surface of the frying pan, first allowing the excess marinade to drip down.

Fry the steaks for two minutes on each side, then reduce the heat to medium and fry for another three minutes on each side.

• Serve the finished dish immediately to the table, placing pieces of meat on lettuce leaves.

As you can see, knowing how to fry a beef steak in a frying pan, you can delight your family and friends with a real restaurant dish, prepared at home.

Primitive people, roasting meat over a fire, did not imagine that they were at the origins of the steak culture, because in those days it was the only way to prepare meat. Later, the priests of Ancient Rome offered thick pieces of meat to the gods in the ritual of sacrifice, fried on both sides on a grill right in the temple. However, the first recipe for meat steak, officially published in a cookbook, was born in Great Britain in the 15th century, and soon all of Europe was frying steaks in different versions, depending on the culinary traditions of different countries. After Columbus brought cattle with high-quality meat to America, steaks began to be cooked on the American continent, and in a short time this dish became part of the national cuisine of the New World. It was in America that cooking steaks turned into a real art, and every American chef knows how to deliciously fry a steak. There are certain subtleties that relate to the choice of meat and various culinary techniques of frying, knowledge of which will help in mastering this virtuoso art. So, let's try to cook meat at home!

What types of steaks are there?

There are many types of steaks. For example, a thick piece of boneless beef, with a layer of fat, cut from the rib part is a ribeye, and a thin layer of boneless meat from the back is a striploin, which has an almost triangular shape. New York steak is similar to striploin, but has no fat. Portehouse is the largest steak from the lumbar region, and filet mignon is the most expensive, juicy, tender and tasty steak from the only round muscle in the body of a bull. T-bone steak is T-shaped meat on the bone and combines two types of meat - fillet and thin edge. "Angleterre" is prepared from the meat from the inside of the shoulder blade, and "Cafe de Paris" steak is made from a piece of the softest meat from the shoulder blade. Quasimodo steak is cut from the lumbar region of the back, and Montevideo is a rump steak. Roundbone steak is prepared from the upper part of the hip region, club steak is prepared from the thick edge of the back, sirloin is prepared from the thigh part of the carcass, and rum steak is a very thin and well-cut tenderloin. As they say, choose a steak to suit your taste!

Steak is made only from beef

The most important cooking rule is the correct choice of meat. Initially, steaks were prepared from beef, so if they say “steak”, they mean a beef dish. For other meats, clarification is required, so in this case they write: pork steak, chicken, salmon, and so on. But true steak connoisseurs say that steaks made from any meat other than beef are not steaks.

Naturally, the beef needs to be selected - it is believed that for the perfect steak you should take the meat of young bulls, 1–1.5 years old, of the Hereford, Shorthorn, Angus and Longhorn breeds, fed on grass, wheat and corn. Bulls that grew up on grain crops, and not just grazed grass on the lawn, acquire an unusually tender fat layer, evenly distributed in the piece. This is how elite marbled beef is obtained, from which the best steaks in the world are prepared. It is interesting that for classic steaks they take mainly bull meat, and the same dish prepared from cow meat is called beefsteak.

How to choose steak meat

The method of cutting the carcass is also important, since for steaks it is better to take meat fibers cut crosswise, 2.5–4 cm thick. This cutting allows the oil to penetrate the pores of the meat pulp, so the steaks cook quickly and turn out more juicy. By and large, only up to 10% of the carcass is suitable for steaks, so the meat intended for this dish is considered elite and expensive. The back muscles are most suitable for steaks - the fact is that pieces from areas of the body where the muscles are at rest are better cooked and soft. It doesn’t matter whether the meat is on the bone or without it, the main thing is that the piece is complete and you don’t have to cut off unnecessary pieces of fat or sinew from it. And the meat should be fresh, dry, rich dark in color, with a smooth and silky surface. They say that the most delicious steaks come from lightly dried meat. The most important thing is that the meat is not steamed, otherwise the steak will turn out tough, and its taste, which is precisely what fermentation provides, will not be so rich and rich.

Preparing meat for frying

About an hour before cooking, remove the meat from the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature. This is necessary for even cooking of the steak. If you cook frozen steaks, you should put them out of the freezer in the refrigerator in the evening so that they thaw gradually. But experts say that steaks made from previously frozen meat lose a lot in taste.

Some housewives marinate in lemon juice with salt and spices for softness and juiciness, although the choice of marinade is a matter of taste. Before frying, pieces of meat should be brushed with olive oil and pepper, but when to salt the meat is a controversial issue. Some argue that you need to salt before frying, while others are sure that it is more correct to salt after the golden brown crust appears, and even better - already on the plate. How best to do it is up to you, in accordance with your personal taste preferences.

What kind of vessel is used to cook steak?

You can cook a steak quickly and tasty in the oven, Josper charcoal grill oven, on an open grill and in a grill pan, in which the meat does not burn and acquires an appetizing pattern. The fat, flowing into the hollows of the pan, is not absorbed into the meat, and the dish turns out to be dietary. But after the oven, the meat is always juicier and softer, because it is cooked not only thanks to the high temperature emanating from a metal dish or grill, but also thanks to the enveloping heat. If you use a regular frying pan, it should be with a thick bottom, although it is believed that steak should not be cooked in regular frying pans or in a slow cooker - only a grill is suitable for this purpose.

The grill pan or oven should be as hot as possible before frying begins, and both butter and vegetable oil can be used. However, if you use butter, you shouldn’t get the pan too hot. In this regard, frying in vegetable oil has its advantages, since it has a higher combustion temperature. Some cooks mix the two types of butter for best results, but the ideal option is to cook steaks in ghee, which does not burn and has a mild flavor. By the way, ribeye steak, which is universal, is most suitable for frying in a frying pan. The fat layer in the meat pulp quickly melts, soaking the steak and making it very juicy, tender and tasty.

How to cook a delicious steak: fry quickly

The main rule for cooking steak is to first fry it very quickly in a hot frying pan until crusty, and then bring it to readiness over lower heat. The fact is that the protein coagulates under the influence of high temperature and prevents the juice from leaking out of the meat. Before frying, some cooks dry the steak for an hour in the oven at a temperature of 60 ° C, since dried meat instantly gives a dense golden brown crust when fried. If you neglect this rule, the steak will turn out dry and tough. At the same time, do not forget to also fry the side edges of the steak, holding it with meat tongs for convenience. A steak covered on all sides with a thick crust will be perfectly cooked and remain juicy. This is one of the main tricks to cooking steak. Don't overheat the pan to the point where it starts to smoke, because if the steak burns, you won't be able to continue frying it and it will end up raw.

How long to fry a steak, how to turn it over

A steak approximately 3 cm thick is fried on each side for 4–5 minutes, and if you have pieces of meat of a different size, then add or subtract one minute for each centimeter. How to cook steak correctly - turn it often or rarely? This is one of the most common questions novice cooks ask. There are two options here - either turn over every 30 seconds (of course, after the initial frying), or change the position of the steak no more than 4 times during the entire time. In the first case, you will get an evenly fried and not overdried steak; in the second case, the steak will turn out very beautiful, with a pattern from the grill pan or grate.

Cutting pieces across the grain also helps a lot in frying. Heat flows through the meat, continuing to heat it even after the steak is removed from the heat. That is why there is no need to fry the steak for a long time - it will be ready on your plate. However, if you are afraid to serve raw meat, cook the steak for about 15 minutes, but no more, so that the beef does not lose tenderness and juiciness.

Determining the degree of cooking of the steak

There are six degrees of doneness, the choice of which depends solely on your personal tastes. When frying, blue steak turns out to be bloody, rar is a very lightly fried steak, but without blood. Medium rare steak - lightly fried meat: there is a crust on the outside, the meat is only heated inside. Medium steak - medium doneness, when the meat is pink in the middle, but still damp. Medium well steak - perfectly cooked, with pinkish meat and well done - a very well done steak, perfectly cooked.

Experienced chefs can determine the degree of doneness visually, but this method requires a lot of experience and skill. You can do it easier - lightly cut the meat and look at its color inside, or press the piece with your finger - a raw steak is usually soft, and the finished piece becomes hard and dense. If you don’t trust your feelings, you can cook according to time - a rare steak is fried for 2 minutes on each side, for lightly done it takes 2.5 minutes, for medium doneness - 3 minutes, and a perfectly done steak requires 4.5 minutes. each side.

If you have a culinary thermometer in the form of a needle, the task is easier - just measure the temperature of the steak to understand what stage of readiness the meat is at. Blue steak is ready at a temperature of 46–49 °C, rar - at 52–55 °C, medium rare - at 55–60 °C, medium - at 60–65 °C, medium well - at 65–69 °C, well done - at 71–100 °C. If the meat is heated above 100°C, the steak is overcooked.

"Relaxation" and steak tasting

An important secret to cooking a steak is to let it “rest” and recover after intense frying. To do this, place a piece of butter on the steak, cover it loosely with foil and leave for 10 minutes. The longer the steak “rests,” the tastier, more aromatic and more tender it will be. Do not rush to taste, because when frying, the meat fibers tense and slightly compress, but gradually they relax, and the juice is evenly distributed inside the steak. In other words, meat that has “rested” after cooking is always softer than meat that has just been removed from the heat. The steak can be served whole or cut into slices, on a warm plate with any sauce, fried vegetables cooked in the same pan, with fried potatoes, vegetable salad and herbs.

Steak marinated with tequila and lime

This Latin American steak will add variety to your daily diet and lift your spirits. Make a marinade from 3 tbsp. l. tequila, 3 tbsp. l. olive oil, 2 tbsp. l. lime juice, 2 drops of Tabasco sauce, 4 finely chopped cloves of garlic and 1 small onion. Marinate the beef steaks for 2 hours, after placing the dishes with the marinade in the refrigerator, and after 1 hour the meat should be turned over.

Half an hour before frying, turn on the grill, remove the steaks from the marinade, dry them well, rub with pepper and salt. Fry the steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side and let them rest for 10 minutes, then cut the pieces across the grain into thin slices.

Spices from the branded online store “Eat at Home”

The website “Eat at Home” publishes various recipes for meat steaks with photos and step-by-step instructions. When you master the art of cooking meat steaks, you will learn how to select beef at the market, and determine the degree of doneness of the meat by eye. Of course, there is a lot to learn before this moment, but the simplest recipes can be mastered now, delighting your loved ones with tender and juicy steaks, which make life seem more fun and tastier. Well, from the brand store “Eat at Home” they will add brightness of taste to your dishes!