Attempts by English aristocrats to introduce beef steak into the highest gastronomic society failed. After a centuries-long journey, the dish settled in America, took root and became modernized. But the steak retained its aristocratic attitude: selected meat, cooking options and the skill of the cook are the requirements of an elite dish!

Beef steak - meat cut across the grain in pieces from 2.5 to 4 cm and fried in a frying pan or grill. Simply determining the cooking process actually requires skill and mathematical calculation. The main thing is to make a choice, because for juicy product areas of the carcass that are not involved in motor skills are suitable.

1. Before properly cooking a beef steak, select a dark red, tendonless cut with an even layer of fat over the surface. Check the softness of the product by pressing your finger: soft meat will quickly return to its shape, while hard meat will remain pressed in.
2. Do not wash the purchased product, but blot it with a towel, peel it and cut it.
3. Preparing a marinade from olive oil, lemon juice and spices is a matter of taste. Classic steak only requires salt and pepper.
4. Thaw previously frozen product naturally.
5. Fry the meat on a well-heated cast iron or grill for a minute on each side, then maintain the time and temperature based on the degree of frying.
6. Before serving, the piece should rest for a couple of minutes so that the juice does not leak out.

Roasting a beef steak is the final stage of cooking meat. The degree of cooking varies according to personal taste, increasing or decreasing the frying time. The American classification system gives five degrees of cooking, based on the thickness of the meat being 2.5 cm.

Be sure to brown the edges of the beef steak when turning it over.

For tasty and juicy dish Grain-fed bulls are used. A delicate fat layer forms inside their meat, similar to marble veins, which is why marbled beef steak is especially valuable. Steak meat is named by the part of the animal carcass using a generally accepted classification of cuts.

Striploin steak

Striploin, or thin sirloin edge, in its name reflects the essence: strip-loin is a sirloin strip, with weak marbling, but with a pronounced beef taste. Large fibers add tenderness and softness to the meat, and a thick strip of fat around the perimeter adds juiciness.

Ingredients:

• thin edge - 850 g;
• rosemary and thyme - a pinch;
• black ground pepper- 3 g;
• olive oil - 25 ml.

Preparation

1. Before cooking striploin steak, cut it across the grain into 1-inch thick pieces.
2. Salt, rub with spices and olive oil.
3. Heat a dry frying pan, add the beef steak and fry on both sides for no more than 4 minutes.

The meat is cut from the lower belly of the bull. A flat piece without fat or bones is quite tough and requires proper handling. " Flank steak- how to cook?" - the most common question among lovers of fajitas. Marinate meat preparation from an hour to 24 hours sour sauce and you get a premium beef steak.

Ingredients:

• beef flank - 980 g;
• vegetable oil- 80 ml;
• red pepper - 5 g;
• tomato juice - 480 ml.

Preparation

1. Peel the meat, prick it with a knife and place it in a marinade for 24 hours. tomato juice and oils.
2. Fry the marinated meat for 10 minutes at maximum and the same amount at medium temperature.
3. The finished dish rests for 8 minutes, after which it is cut into portions.

Ribeye steak - recipe

Premium cut - ribeye is the most marbled and meaty of all cuts. The abundance of fat layers that melt during cooking makes the dish juicy and soft. To the question of how to cook a ribeye steak, there is one answer - without marinades and special seasonings, the product fried in a hot frying pan is ready in a couple of minutes and requires serving.

Ingredients:

• steaks - 2 pcs. 350 g each;
• vegetable oil - 20 ml.

Preparation

1. Brush the pieces with oil.
2. Heat the frying pan well and fry the beef steak for a couple of minutes on both sides.
3. Increase or decrease cooking time depending on personal preference.
4. Salt and season the finished meat with pepper.
5. After resting for a couple of minutes, serve on a warm plate.

Filet mignon

Tenderloin is the most valuable cut, obtained from a muscle not involved in motor activity. That's why, fillet steak Mignon is the most tender meat of all existing species. With a thickness of 8 cm, the dish retains juiciness and softness due to marbling and pleasantly pleases the taste during dinner with good wine.

Ingredients:

• sirloin - 430 g;
• oil - 30 ml;
• champignons - 250 g;
• red wine - 130 ml;
• cream - 80 ml.

Preparation

1. Fry the seasoned meat in a frying pan for five minutes, then place in the oven for ten at a temperature of 180 degrees.
2. Fry chopped champignons with cream and red wine.
3. Serve the finished dish with mushroom sauce.

T-bone steak

T-shaped bone, divides a huge piece of meat into two different types: thin sirloin edge with a pronounced beef taste and middle part the most tender tenderloin. The heavy, hearty cut is most often prepared on the grill or in a Josper oven, but a frying pan and oven are also suitable options.

Ingredients:

• T-bone steak - 900 g;
• olive oil - 20 ml;
• shallots - 60 g.

Preparation

1. Before cooking a beef steak in a pan, trim the fat around the perimeter.
2. Fry the workpiece in a hot frying pan for no more than a couple of minutes, then another 10 minutes at low temperature.
3. Beef steak is a recipe that requires finishing in the oven.
4. Place the meat on the cut onions and bake at 200 degrees for a quarter of an hour.

Beef steak in the oven

Even a beginner can cook a steak in the oven without first frying it in a frying pan. This method of heat treatment will evenly distribute meat juices, and the grill function will provide a fragrant crispy crust.

I won’t be mistaken if I say that every man, in addition to scrambled eggs and fried potatoes must be able to cook. At least that's the legend. I didn't know how until recently. However, even now, if I show my steak to a knowledgeable person, he will most likely take a photo of it and post it on his Instagram with the hashtags #lol, #whatisthis, #hethinksthissteak.

Despite the fact that my experience in cooking steaks is still limited, I try to study everything new diligently, and therefore I started with the theory - how to choose the right meat for steak.

Types of steaks

None of the types of steaks have a Russian translation. In addition, if in the presence knowledgeable person If you order a pork or chicken steak, you will most likely be looked at condescendingly. It is believed that steak is made only from beef.

Depending on which cut is used, there are several (up to ten) types of steaks:

1. Ribeye- subscapular part of the carcass. Contains a lot of fat, so the meat turns out juicy.
2. Club steak- the back part of the carcass is used as a tenderloin. The steak has a small bone.
3. Filet mignon-considered the most tender meat, not prepared with blood.
4. Chateaubriand- the same filet mignon, but laid out lengthwise on a plate.
5. Tornedos- small pieces cuttings from which medallions are made.
6. Skirt steak- beef flank meat. It is considered quite hard, but tasty.
7. Porterhouse steak-separated by a T-shaped bone, contains a large number of fat, which makes the meat juicy.
8. Roundrumb steak- a round piece of tenderloin from the hip.
9. Striploin steak- tenderloin that looks more like a sirloin strip than a steak.

How to choose

Despite the variety, each steak is suitable for different situations. Ribeye, for example, is considered the most unpretentious in cooking and at the same time very tasty. Tenderloin has a large amount of fat. Striploin steak is a softer cut than ribeye and is the steak most often served in steakhouses. Filet mignon is the most tender, almost “buttery” meat, but it doesn’t have the same rich taste due to the low amount of fat.

Randy Irion, marketing director for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, has some tips for selecting and cooking the right steak:

1. Buy thick pieces at least 2 centimeters thick.
2. Don't avoid fatty cuts: Fat gives the steak flavor, makes it juicy, and maintains its shape while grilling.
3. If you want to cook perfect steak, you'll have to buy a thermometer. Required temperature for rare steak - 51 °C.
4. Do not pay attention to the labels “organic”, “non-GMO”, “natural product”.
5. Ideally, you should buy your meat from a butcher shop rather than a supermarket.
6. If the meat gives off a slight ammonia smell, it is not fresh.
7. When you get home, feel the steak. If your fingers stick to the meat, it means it is close to being lost.
8. Ribeye is the best choice if you don't want to spend a lot of time choosing. According to Irion, almost any butcher or cook will tell you that ribeye is their favorite type of steak. It is not the most delicate, but has the richest taste.

Steak connoisseurs believe that this dish can only be prepared from certain types of beef. In our country, steak culture is just emerging, so following all the culinary canons of preparing steak is rather exotic. In addition, others in food culture are quite controversial and not always justified.

The reasoning of some nutritionists about the right and wrong meat is interesting. They include chicken, turkey, and veal in the first category, and pork, in their opinion, should be on the sidelines of cooking. Let’s not talk about the motives that encourage people who consider themselves experts to have such an opinion, but let’s look back at our past. From time immemorial, our ancestors raised pigs and ate their meat with great pleasure. Moreover, such food not only did not lead to illness, but also made people stronger and more resilient.

IN modern world Pork is no less popular than beef when preparing steak. In this case, steak should be understood as a method of cooking.

Pork and steak

America is one of the leading contenders for the title of pioneer of steak. Her chances are great, since for Americans steak is not just fried meat, it is part of culture and ideology. And for some, probably, a kind of religion. This attitude towards fried beef appeared for a reason, because such food was eaten by the first colonists who arrived in the New World.

The use of pork for cooking steak was born in the vastness of our Motherland. This is due to ancient farming traditions, which, of course, is reflected in the diet. According to orthodox adherents of the classic steak, pork is not suitable for it. They believe that this is unacceptable and even blasphemous. However, no one can dispute the fact that properly cooked pork is soft and juicy. At the same time, the taste of the dish is excellent, and the benefits are obvious.

Meat selection

The dish can be prepared either from a whole piece or from a tenderloin. To obtain a juicy and dense steak, take meat from the back of the carcass. Sirloin steak is drier, but much softer.

When choosing meat, you should pay attention to the presence of a natural casing. When frying, it will become an obstacle to the released juice.

Butchers cut the carcass according to a certain pattern, so the neck, shoulder, thigh or chops are already ready on the counter. All this goes well with steak. However, it happens that a piece consists of long fibers. In this case, the solution is simple: you should cut it across the grain into pieces with a thickness of 2.5 cm to 4 cm.
The color of meat can say almost everything about its quality. Fresh pork has light pink flesh. Dark red meat should alert you.

If the meat has been frozen, it is not the best option. It is advisable that the meat be chilled. Before using, remove it from the refrigerator and allow time for it to reach room temperature.

Pork that is devoid of fat or streaks of fat is not best choice. The fact is that during cooking, fat makes the meat more juicy and flavorful.

Myths about pork

Pork is a hearty and healthy meat.

The idea is constantly imposed that pork is harmful, especially if it is fatty. Everything is different, since a well-cooked steak from this product is healthy and, to a certain extent, dietary dish. In particular, if a person complies.

Consumption of pork by athletes, teenagers, and people engaged in heavy physical labor is necessary, as it is a source of protein. For other people, including young fashionistas who take care of their figure, and older people, pork is absolutely harmless. It’s just important not to overdo it with the serving size.

A small piece can not only satisfy hunger, but also give long time feeling of satiety. With regular and not necessary frequent use pork steak saturates the body required quantity amino acids and vitamins belonging to group B, which has a beneficial effect on all human systems and strengthens his immunity. IN pork tenderloin contains almost a full range of microelements. At the same time, there are no carbohydrates in pork, and the protein and fat content is 20% and 7%, respectively.

Roasting

When cooking the same cut of pork using different temperature conditions, juiciness and taste characteristics steak will differ significantly. Likewise steak made from beef, pork can be obtained with varying degrees of doneness.

When cooking meat for 8-9 minutes on a fire at a temperature of 180°C, it is completely fried and there is no juice inside it.

To achieve normal roasting, the meat is fried at the same temperature, but for 4-5 minutes. At the same time, light pink juice will remain inside the piece of meat.

You can get a medium-rare steak by raising the temperature to 180-200°C and cooking time of about 4-5 minutes. The internal juice is bright red, although there is no blood in it.

For people who prefer to eat meat with blood, it is kept at 200°C little time- about 2-3 minutes. The inside of the meat is red.
Heated meat has a specific taste, that is, without frying. It is cooked at maximum temperature for no more than one minute. Inside raw steak, it is sealed by the outer crust.

It is easy to see the dependence of roasting on temperature and cooking speed. This is the principle of cooking pork steak. Using it and basic recipes for the dish, you can not only learn how to cook pork, but also improvise with it.

Basic Pork Steak Recipes

There is a widespread belief that self-cooking steak will not lead to anything good that it can only be prepared by a professional with exceptional knowledge, from special meat using a unique technique.
There is no doubt that cooking pork steak requires certain knowledge and skills.

However, you can cook tasty and juicy meat yourself. The main thing in this matter is the roasting time and proper preparation meat. Chilled meat should be removed from the cold first, 20 minutes before cooking. Or you should buy the freshest fresh meat. Next, the dish is prepared using one of the methods listed below.

In a frying pan

The steak will taste better if you use a thick-bottomed pan to cook it.

In addition to pieces of meat cut into portions, you will need oil, preferably freshly ground pepper and.

Meat is cooked in a special grill pan or in regular frying pan with a thick bottom. The dishes are preheated over high heat. Do not bring it to a temperature that causes smoke. A pan with a less massive bottom can only be used for frying filet mignon.

Before cooking, a mixture of pepper, spices and a pinch of salt is rubbed into pieces of meat. After which they are not lubricated big amount oils Oil is also added to the surface of the pan, literally a few drops.

Pieces of steak are placed on a hot frying pan without touching each other. The characteristic hissing of meat is an indicator of the required heating temperature. After four minutes, the heat is brought to a moderate level and the meat is fried for a couple more minutes. Then the meat is turned over. To do this, it is advisable to use flat tongs so that the surface of the steak remains intact. The process continues for 5-6 minutes so that the meat is medium roasted. If you need a greater degree of roasting, you should proportionally increase the cooking time.

The readiness of the meat is determined by pressing on it thumb. If the meat remains pliable, there is bloody juice inside. With a higher degree of frying, the pork feels firm.

After obtaining the required frying of the steak, you should not rush to serve it. Place it in a flat dish or on a wire rack and cover with food foil. This is necessary so that the steak is fully cooked and acquires the full range of taste qualities. The dish with the steak is left in a warm place, for example, near a lit burner of a gas stove.

In the oven

The dish is prepared from the same ingredients that are used when frying in a pan.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. On a baking sheet you need to spread food foil, whose size more pieces meat four times. Steaks rubbed with spices are coated with oil. The foil should also be coated with a light layer of oil. After this, pieces of meat are hermetically wrapped in it. The foil should have several holes in the top that will allow steam to escape.
The meat should be in the oven for 40 minutes, after which the foil on top is unrolled and the meat is turned over. Full readiness the dish arrives in 10 minutes. Before serving, the steak should cook according to the technology described above for 5-10 minutes.

Brazier

The products used in this case are the same as in the previously described cooking technologies, but vegetable oil is excluded.

The grill must have the required heat. The meat is placed on its grill, and after three minutes it is turned over. Further cooking is carried out until the required roasting is achieved.

Before serving, the dish is kept under foil for about 10 minutes. During this time, it becomes more juicy and saturated with aromas.

Multicooker

The ingredients remain the same as when frying in a pan.

The meat is rubbed with spices and oil. Oil also needs to be added to the slow cooker. Next, the device is switched to the mode intended for frying. You should wait a little until the oil warms up. After this, add the steak, close the lid and cook in frying mode. This requires about five minutes on one side of the piece of meat and the same time on the other.

Little secrets

Unlike barbecue, meat does not need to be prepared for steak. If desired, you can marinate the meat. Marinades that are used for kebabs are quite suitable for this.

It is advisable to serve the dish on flat plates or boards, which are equipped with a sharp, non-serrated knife of short length. If the steak is cooked at home and not outdoors using open fire, then it is recommended to warm up the plates a little.

Lettuce leaves and fresh vegetables - best side dish to the pork steak.

Using the right technology cooking pork steaks, taste qualities will surpass any other method of preparing this meat.

Useful video on the topic

Home » Weight loss » Product composition » Juicy and delicious steak- what meat is it made from and how is it prepared?

Which part of beef is used to make the most delicious and juicy steak? Rules for choosing meat and frying steaks - how does the American way of cooking differ from the European one?

What is steak?

Steak is a thick cut of quality beef meat, cut across the muscle fibers and fried at high temperature in a frying pan or grill. Steak meat can be either drier (filet mignon) or streaked with fat ( marbled steak). Steak with a rib bone is called ribeye.

Despite the fact that a classic steak is whole beef meat, fried over a fire for a short time, there are numerous recipes for oven-baked steaks, pork steaks and even salmon steaks. Formally, even a steak made from... ground beef(English) beef steak).

What meat is steak made from?

For steaks, meat is suitable from those parts of the carcass whose muscles do not participate in motor activity - primarily the chest, sides and back. Since no more than 10% of a steer's carcass can ultimately be used, this is one of the main reasons for the high cost of quality beef for steak.

The finished steak gets its name depending on what part of the carcass it was prepared from. IN various countries Both the carcass cutting scheme and preferences for the choice of meat and roasting method differ. However, nowhere are steaks prepared from fresh beef - the meat is always stored for 15-20 days.

How to cook steak?

American steak is a large and thick piece of meat with noble streaks of fat (marbled beef).

In Europe, smaller and thinner sirloin steaks are preferred.

Steak is not just a piece of beef meat fried in a pan. Regular beef from the nearest butcher shop (especially fresh beef) is definitely not suitable for a good steak - with it you will only get a large piece of stewed meat own juice meat.

1. Buy the right meat.

   Preference should be given to either domestic meat for steaks in vacuum packaging or imported frozen meat.

   Frozen meat must first be thawed before cooking - leave it in the main chamber of the refrigerator for several hours.

2. Cut the meat into thick pieces. The steak meat is washed, then cut into fairly thick slices - 2.5 cm for fatty marbled meat, or 4-5 cm for almost dry beef tenderloin filet mignon. Before cooking, the meat should rest at room temperature at least 30-45 minutes.
3. Prepare gas and frying pan. European thin sirloin steaks are best grilled on olive oil, non-stick frying pans and gas stove, and thicker and fattier American or Australian ones - in special ribbed frying pans or on the grill. In this case, a minimum of oil is required.
4. Don't spoil the meat! Under no circumstances should you wash the meat immediately before frying - it should be as dry as possible. Before frying the steak, add a little rock salt, black pepper or a pinch of aromatic herbs on both sides, but be careful not to overdo it with spices.
5. When grilling, keep the crust on the steak.. For education golden brown crust, retaining all the juices inside, it is important to fry the steak at high temperature. Do not place several pieces on the frying pan at the same time - this will lower the temperature and the meat will inevitably begin to stew in its own juices.
6. Be sure to time yourself. As with boiling soft-boiled eggs, the best results are obtained by timing the cooking time. Frying time depends on the thickness of the piece of meat and its type - starting from 1.5-2 minutes for filet mignon, ending with 6-7 minutes for each side of well-done marbled beef well done.
7. Let the steak rest before serving.. Before the steak is almost done, it is removed from the heat and placed on a plate for 5-7 minutes. Heat redistributes internal juices on the surface of the steak, as a result of which the meat is more evenly soaked and becomes more tasty and juicy.

Grass-fed or grain-fed?

For correct and delicious steak the meat of young bulls of special breeds Angus is best suited ( Angus) and Hereford ( Hereford) age 1-1.5 years. Depending on the type of food the animal eats, the meat has more fat inclusions (grain-fed wheat and corn) or less (grass-fed).

In the USA and Australia, preference is given to “marbled” grain-fed meat - delicate fatty layers are formed inside the muscle fibers, so the steak after cooking turns out juicy and tender. However, in Europe and South Africa prefer drier grass-fed meat.

Steak doneness

In accordance with the American system of classifying doneness classes, steaks are divided into six degrees of doneness: very rare(almost raw meat), rare(meat with blood), medium rare(medium rare steak) medium (medium rare), medium well(almost cooked) well done(done).

For the thick, fatty steaks preferred by Americans, the optimal degree of doneness is between medium rare before medium well, and for thinner European steaks with low fat content (for example, classic filet mignon), light roasting is more suitable - from rare before medium.

To prepare a steak you need, first of all, high-quality beef meat and good frying pan. At the same time, depending on your tastes (whether you prefer thin steaks of grass-fed meat or fattier marbled beef), not only the cooking time will depend, but also the required equipment.

Steak meat

Today we will tell you what kind of meat steak is made from and reveal a few secrets that will help you choose the best meat for steak, because the key to success in preparing any dish is undoubtedly the correct and high-quality raw materials.

What meat is steak made from?

IN classic version Beef is used for steak, but it is also possible to prepare dishes from pork, lamb and poultry. Pork steaks It is better to cook from the shoulder, thigh and neck parts of the carcass, but for lamb you can use only the neck and thigh. Poultry steaks are prepared from thighs and drumsticks.

Let us dwell in more detail on the choice of raw materials for beef steaks, since they are the most popular and incredibly tasty.

How to choose meat for beef steak?

To make a dish perfect, as a rule, the best parts are taken as the basis. beef carcass, and depending on what kind of meat is used for the dish, the steak gets its specific name. Let's list the main types of steaks that chefs most often prepare in restaurants.

Having decided on the choice of meat for steak and purchasing it at the market or in a store, be sure to pay attention to its freshness and color. The darker the product, the older the animal was and the tougher the dish will be. When you press with your finger meat product The trace should remain for some time and disappear gradually. If the meat springs back, the steak will be tough. A print that does not disappear at all indicates that the raw meat is not fresh. And one more important point. Fat layers must certainly be white, and not yellow or cream. Such shades of adipose tissue can only be characteristic of lamb meat.

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Ribeye steak(rib-eye, ribeye - from English rib - rib, eye - eye).

The steak is cut directly next to the rib and the cut somewhat resembles an eye, hence the name. Ribeye's may vary slightly depending on the factors listed below.

Typical ribeye steaks made from high-quality beef have an almost oval shape:

The appearance of rib-eye steaks may vary slightly depending on what part of the muscle they are cut from. Closer to the front of the carcass and closer to the back of the carcass, respectively:

Marbled beef ribeye steak:

Quite often ribeye steak is left on the bone., emphasizing its origin and name:

Cooked ribeye steak has a characteristic appearance with clearly visible fatty streaks:

How to choose the right steak meat

Filet mignon, porterhouse, ribeye - reading these words, you understand what to do good steak- this is not an easy task. Below we will tell you how to choose meat for steak in the store, what types it comes in and what are the advantages of each of them.

I won’t be mistaken if I say that every man, in addition to scrambled eggs and fried potatoes, should be able to cook a steak. At least that's the legend. I didn't know how until recently. However, even now, if I show my steak to a knowledgeable person, he will most likely take a photo of it and post it on his Instagram with the hashtags #lol, #whatisthis, #hethinksthissteak.

Despite the fact that my experience in cooking steaks is still limited, I try to study everything new diligently, and therefore I started with the theory - how to choose the right meat for steak.

Types of steaks

None of the types of steaks have a Russian translation. In addition, if you order a pork or chicken steak in the presence of a knowledgeable person, you will most likely be looked at condescendingly.

It is believed that steak is made only from beef.

Depending on what part of the carcass is used for cutting, there are several (up to ten) types of steaks:

1. Ribeye- subscapular part of the carcass. Contains a lot of fat, so the meat turns out juicy.
2. Club steak- the back part of the carcass is used as a tenderloin. The steak has a small bone.
3. Filet mignon-considered the most tender meat, it is not cooked with blood.
4. Chateaubriand- the same filet mignon, but laid out lengthwise on a plate.
5. Tornedos- small pieces of tenderloin from which medallions are made.
6. Skirt steak- beef flank meat. It is considered quite hard, but tasty.
7. Porterhouse steak-separated by a T-shaped bone, contains a large amount of fat, which makes the meat juicy.
8. Roundrumb steak- a round piece of tenderloin from the hip.
9. Striploin steak- tenderloin that looks more like a sirloin strip than a steak.

How to choose

Despite the variety, each steak is suitable for different situations. Ribeye, for example, is considered the most unpretentious in cooking and at the same time very tasty. Tenderloin has a large amount of fat. Striploin steak is a softer cut than ribeye and is the steak most often served in steakhouses. Filet mignon is the most tender, almost “buttery” meat, but does not have such a rich taste due to the small amount of fat.

Randy Irion, marketing director for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, has some tips for selecting and cooking the right steak:

1. Buy thick pieces at least 2 centimeters thick.
2. Don't avoid fatty cuts: Fat gives the steak flavor, makes it juicy, and maintains its shape while grilling.
3. If you want to cook the perfect steak, you'll have to buy a thermometer. The required temperature for rare steak is 51 °C.
4. Do not pay attention to the labels “organic”, “non-GMO”, “natural product”.
5. Ideally, you should buy your meat from a butcher shop rather than a supermarket.
6. If the meat gives off a slight ammonia smell, it is not fresh.
7. When you get home, feel the steak. If your fingers stick to the meat, it means it is close to being lost.
8. Ribeye is the best choice if you don't want to spend a lot of time choosing. According to Irion, almost any butcher or cook will tell you that ribeye is their favorite type of steak. It is not the most delicate, but has the richest taste.

The perfect steak starts with the choice of meat. By purchasing a quality product, you doom the cooking result to success. It is difficult to spoil fresh meat with the wrong recipe or marinade. We will tell you how to choose the right steak for a particular steak in this article.

There is an opinion that steak is prepared only from beef, everything other than that is just fried meat. First, you should pay attention to the types of steaks in order to understand which part of the huge carcass to buy.

Steaks

There are more than 100 options, but only a few of them are the most popular. They are served in famous restaurants, and chefs compete in roasting and serving. Home cooks dream of learning the secrets of cooking.

1. Ribeye. The fillet is located under the shoulder blade of the animal and consists of pulp and many fatty streaks. The finished product turns out juicy, although not the most tender, but very tasty.
2. Club Meat on a small rib bone, cut from the back.
3. T-bone. It has a bone similar to the letter T, cut from the dorso-lumbar region.
4. Filet mignon. Famous for its indescribable tenderness, it has no bones, the central loin of the animal. The tallest piece is cut 5 centimeters thick. For this type, only medium, deep roasting is relevant. Saturation suffers due to the lack of fat layers. You cannot beat the meat with a kitchen hammer, the steak will lose its shape, the flesh will break, the handle of a knife will do.
5. Porterhouse. A combination of two types of steak - tender sirloin, T-bone with a thin edge. Counts ideal option: juicy, tender, rich in fat.
6. Tornedos. Tenderloin cut into small medallions.
7. Striploin. The thin edge of the lumbar section of the carcass has a characteristic beef taste. The appearance of a thin stripe.
8. Roundrumb. The hip part of the steak has a round shape.

Based on the choice of steak type, we go shopping. It is necessary to follow the recommendations, choose carefully, taking into account each point, then the dish will exceed expectations and receive a lot of compliments.

Choosing meat

It is recommended to take fairly thick pieces, at least 2 centimeters. Fatty pieces are especially good, the finished dish turns out juicy even at maximum frying, the shape of the piece is perfectly preserved, does not spread, and remains elastic.

When choosing a place to buy, give preference to markets for several reasons:

• It’s much easier to find quality meat there, especially the most expensive cuts;
• you can take a good sniff - an indicator of staleness - the smell of ammonia;
• touch the pieces - the meat returns to shape after pressing with a finger - it means good, sticky - stale;
• choose a seller who supplies only good pieces.

Meat color

We pay attention to color - the main indicator of quality.

• red meat, pale pink crust, pale pink is acceptable, spots of a different color, mucus - indicators of a low-quality piece;
• white fat - yes, yellow, brown, gray - no;
• the texture is too dense, loose - stale, homogeneous, elastic - suitable.

We examine the counter and trays. Cloudy juice in containers is an indicator of poor product quality. We look at the surroundings, notice details (towels, knives, boards).

An even cut of the piece guarantees great steak. The ribbed surface is fraught with loss of juice, and the steak will turn out dry.

Sellers' tricks

It’s easy to deceive an inexperienced buyer, let’s look at the most famous tricks of sellers:

• simple calves are passed off as purebred bulls;
• fresh meat is a popular misconception, it is considered as such the first three hours after slaughter; for beef steak, aged fillet is suitable - a maximum of 28 days after slaughter;
• cheap cuts, for example, shoulder cuts, are presented as elite ribeye, filet mignon.

It is necessary to look for sellers who can clearly see where the piece was cut from. Each part differs in frying time, garnishing, and sauce. Pay attention to the marbling of the product; a large number of veins is a guarantee of a juicy steak.

Pay attention to the muscle fibers - thick means tough meat.

Where's the best beef?

For steakhouses, meat is supplied from the following countries:

1. New Zealand - the most famous breeds graze in the fields of the island, the meat of which is used in preparing ideal steaks.
2. Argentina - grown best breeds animals, is considered the country of the most delicious steak.
3. Australia - the continental climate allows for raising excellent cattle.
4. Japan - the animal is fed yeast beer and given a back massage. It is believed that this helps make the pieces softer and the taste richer.

Cuts Russian manufacturer are also different high quality, if the representative did not skimp on care and feed. The buyer does not know this for certain, so he has to trust the seller’s words, rely on the appearance of the product, and trust his intuition.

The cost of good beef is quite high; a low price means a low-quality product. Feeding and caring for bulls requires a lot of labor and financial investments.

What affects the price

1. Type of cut. There are especially valuable places on the carcass - the dorsal, lumbar, and central parts. Shoulder and ham have a lower cost.
2. Age of the bull. The meat of an older animal will be darker and tougher. The characteristics do not depend on the part of the cut.
3. Conditions. The quality of meat directly depends on the area where it is grown, the regime, and walks. Bulls live according to a clear schedule: they walk, eat, and take certain procedures. The number of fat streaks depends on the diet - in quality product there should be a lot of thin ones.
4. Nutrition. The most delicious meat is considered to come from grain-fed bulls; good fresh grass is suitable for the minion.

Professional chefs study in detail the characteristics and growing conditions of animals before purchasing a piece; the quality of the dishes and reviews from restaurant guests depend on this.

• to determine doneness is necessary, checking readiness with sharp objects is fraught with leakage of juice, therefore, the pieces will be hard;
• turn over only with tongs - no punctures;
• fry on maximum heat minimal amount time, this is how the juice is sealed inside;
• place the pieces on a hot surface;
• We add spices only after frying, thus retaining the juice in the dish.

Knowing the criteria for quality beef and following the recommendations, you can easily purchase correct pieces, fry perfect steaks. Cook, enjoy the process, buy excellent beef, make your loved ones happy.