Art Of Cooking: A Steak

Imagine this, you’re at a restaurant with your friends, it’s a weekly get together, you’re laughing teasing each other while having appetizers, and slowly start to smell the creamy, buttery aroma overlapped with the sweet scents of rosemary and thyme, your mouth starts to water as you see your waiter arrive with your steak.

A Perfectly seared Golden brown crust that is dripping with juice, Garlic, and spinach cooked to utmost perfection on the side with mashed potatoes. After taking a few instagramable shots you dig in, grab your steak knife, and slowly start to slice as you realize there is no effort required.

You take a piece and put it in your mouth as you discover it melts, meat so tender it could easily be confused with butter. Wouldn’t that put a smile on your face huh?.

I know steaks can be a tad bit expensive to eat out every week, but what if I tell you that you can achieve that restaurant perfection at home in the comfort of your own home?.

That, you can cook killer steaks for your family and friends or even a treat for yourself and be remembered as a culinary legend in your circle. Cook so good that everyone will ask for your secret recipe. Plus you do not need fancy ovens or a grill to make a killer steak, you just need a frying pan, a meat thermometer, and fire that’s given.

So, let me, a self-appointed steak connoisseur, take you through the beautiful art, of cooking a steak

Choosing your meat

This seems like the tricky part but is relatively easy, once you know what you’re looking for. There are different cuts of meat used as steaks that offer different price tags, different textures, and cook time.

Also, when buying a piece of meat, you should look at its marbling ( layers of fat inside meat). Why you ask?. Well when you cook the steak the fat melts, releases trapped flavor, and increases the tenderness of the steak. I’ll list a few of the cuts that are easy to buy and have goof marbling

Ribeye:

Has incredible fat content, gives amazing texture and the flavor is out of this world. Ribeyes are about 1½ inches thick.

T-Bone:

T-Bone offers a 2 in 1 deal, One side is a tenderloin and the other is a NewYork strip. Rich in flavor and extremely tender when cooked. Most popular for steak houses

Strip/ Newyork strip:

A narrow strip of meat is taken from one side of the t-bone. A cheap cut and easy to cook offers good flavor.

Preparations

First of all, you need to make sure your meat is room temperature, to get an even cook. So, take your steak out of the fridge, 30 minutes before cook time, and let it reach room temp.

Get any high smoke point oil, like canola or vegetable oil. Onions or shallots, 4 sticks of butter, aromatics like rosemary or thyme, and salt/pepper.

Now, after gathering all of the above ingredients, rub your steak on both sides with the oil and let it rest. Get a frying pan, preferably a thick one, coat it lightly with the high smoke point cooking, and turn the flames up to high.

Cooking

Now, comes the fun part!

Hover your hand slightly over the pan and you would feel radiating heat, which means your pan is ready for searing your steak. Lightly season your meat with salt and pepper and put your meat on the pan.

Don’t panic, You’ll hear a sizzling sound and that’s exactly what you want. Leave the meat there for 2 mins and then do the same for the other side.

After a beautiful golden-brown crust forms take it out and let it rest for 5 mins, meanwhile put the flames on low heat and add onions and crushed cloves of crushed garlic, furthermore add 4 sticks pieces of butter and let it melt.

Basting

After 4 mins add your steak back in, once that butter begins to foam start basting your steak with it. Every 2 mins turn the meat and continue to baste, until it reaches 36 degrees, internal temp, then take the meat off the pan and let it rest for another 5 mins.

Add the meat in the pan again and start to baste, remember! Basting is life, by basting you are essentially adding rich buttery flavors to your meat enhancing its already amazing flavor. Continue to flip, baste meat until it reaches the internal temp of about 56-c or 125-f take it off and give it a final rest of 4 mins.

You’re all done, I know it sounds time-consuming but it is all worth it. Try it once and people would beg you to make it again.