How To Cook
Steak
Flavouring your steak:
You may
choose to marinade the steak prior to cooking,
this is especially good if you are using one of
the cheaper cuts to help tenderise it. Seasoning
can be from as basic as a little salt & pepper
to your chosen herbs & spices. I personally
enjoy a sprinkle of cajun seasoning on my
steaks.
Cooking time
varies depending on the thickness of the steak.
Obviously a thick steak will take longer to cook
than a thin one.
Fry:
1) Season
steak (if desired).
2) Place a
small amount of cooking oil in a frying pan and
heat over a medium/high setting.
3) Add the
steak and sear on one side, once blood begins to
pool on the top of the steak turn it over. Don't add too many pieces
of steak to the frying pan, they should not
overlap.
4)
Cook a 2cm thick piece of
steak for 2 minutes each side for rare, 2 1/2
minutes each side for medium, and 3-4 minutes
each side for well done.
5) Transfer to a
plate, cover & stand for 3 minutes to let
it rest.
BBQ:
1) Preheat BBQ to
medium high.
2) Season steak
(if desired).
3) Brush steak
with oil & place on BBQ. Seal for 1 minute
before turning & sealing the other side.
4) Cook a 2cm
thick piece of steak for 2 minutes each side for
rare, 2 1/2 minutes each side for medium, and
3-4 minutes each side for well done.
5) Transfer to a
plate, cover & stand for 3 minutes to let
it rest.
Oven:
Cooking in
the oven involves a two step cooking process.
Firstly searing the steak in a frying pan, then
transferring to a baking dish & cooking in the
oven.
1) Preheat
oven to 200C (400F).
2) Season
steak (if desired).
3) Place a
small amount of cooking oil in a frying pan and
heat over a medium/high setting.
4) Add the
steak and sear on one side before turning over &
searing the other side (1 minute per side. This
seals the steak & traps in the juices. Don't add
too many pieces of steak to the frying pan, they
should not overlap.
5) Line an
oven proof dish with baking paper & transfer
steaks to dish. Cook for 5-10 minutes, depending
on thickness and how you like it cooked.
6)
Transfer to
a plate, cover & stand for 3 minutes to
let it rest.
How do you know when the steak is cooked?
This depends
on how you like it cooked - rare, medium rare,
medium, medium well done or well done. The more
cooked the steak, the firmer it becomes. A
simple way to gauge this is by using your
fingers. With a relaxed hand, pinch together
your thumb and index finger. With the index
finger on your other hand, touch the fleshy pad
below your thumb. You will notice it feels
firmer as you move from the index finger (where
it feels soft) to the little finger (where it
feels firm). Using this as a guide to check how
"done" your steak is.
Thumb/index
finger - rare
Thumb/middle
finger - medium rare
Thumb ring
finger - medium
Thumb/little
finger - well done
Resting steak:
Once your
steaks are cooked, transfer to a warmed plate,
loosely cover and rest for 2 minutes.
Notes:
Some people recommend bringing steak to room
temperature (which takes around 30 minutes)
prior to cooking.
You can
either add oil to the pan or directly onto the
steak and then add to the pan.
Also see:
How to cook asparagus
How to cook bacon
How to cook broccoli
How to cook corn on the cob
How to cook pasta
How to cook rice
How to cook salmon
