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Proper beef steak

How to Cook a Proper Beef Steak

An elegant, hearty, and delicious dish worthy of any occasion, served with a variety of sauces and sides. For a lean cut like filet mignon, rich, fatty sauces and sides are a good match. For a marbled cut like ribeye, go with vegetables and a light sauce. Fattier steaks are delicious with something peppery or tangy. If you cooked the meat in the oven, serve it with mashed potatoes or a dipping sauce. Pan-seared steak is great with a fresh salad or asparagus. Grilled steak is perfect with vegetables that have been blanched but left slightly crisp.

wella

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Beef

350

Peppercorns

Dry spices

Bay leaves

Garlic

Salt

Vegetable oil

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 44 % 18 g

Fats 51 % 21 g

Carbohydrates 5 % 2 g

272 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Cooking time: 20 min

Step 1:

To cook a proper beef steak, first decide on the doneness you want (there are five classic levels, but most people go for medium rare, medium, or medium well) and pick a piece of meat of the right thickness.
Step 2:

For the steak to come out right, the meat must be completely dry before cooking — pat it dry with paper towels.
Step 3:

Next, the seasoning. Ground black pepper is the classic choice. It's best to grind it fresh right before cooking — but not to a fine dust; aim for coarse cracked particles like the ones in the photo.
Step 4:

Now you can set the pan over the burner and let it heat up — you want it good and hot (a grill pan is even better). Salt the meat, brush it with oil, and roll it in the freshly cracked pepper. Let it sit, then lightly press the surface with your fingers so the salt and pepper adhere well.
Step 5:

Once the pan is screaming hot, pour in the oil. Hot? Add the steak right away, along with the spices, bay leaves, and sliced garlic. The oil should sizzle on contact.
Step 6:

Don't step away from the stove for a second. You need to catch the right moment so the steak comes out at exactly the doneness you chose. For a lightly seared steak, about three minutes per side is enough. Want a deeper crust? Add a minute, and so on. When you flip it, never use a knife or fork — you don't want the juices to run out. Use tongs to turn it to the other side.
Step 7:

Steak done? Take it out of the pan and serve. Here's how beautiful it looks cooked to medium rare.
Step 8:

And this one is well done.

A few more tips. The meat: ideal beef steaks come from young cattle raised on grass and hay their whole lives, though that's not always easy to find. A boneless, sinew-free portion should be about 1¼ inches (3 cm) thick, and always cut across the grain. When buying beef at the store, check the slaughter date — the steak is best cooked about 20–25 days after it. Thaw frozen meat in the main compartment of the refrigerator so it keeps its quality; in a pinch, seal the meat in a plastic bag and submerge it in a bowl of water. Don't wash the meat right before cooking — if you did rinse it, pat it fully dry with a paper towel first. Never pound a steak before frying, or it loses both its texture and its juices. Doneness is everything: a rare steak reads about 115–120°F (45–50°C) inside, medium around 130°F (55°C), and well done about 150–160°F (65–70°C). If you don't have a thermometer, you'll have to judge by eye — just remember that hard, prolonged frying quickly drives out the juices and dries the meat. Let the meat sit at room temperature for an hour or two before cooking. You can skip the oil if you have a ribbed cast-iron pan — just heat it until it barely smokes. Don't crowd the pan with several steaks, or the temperature drops and the meat just steams in its own juices. Turn steaks only with tongs, or you'll lose the juices. Before flipping, make sure the seared side has a nice brown color — don't rush it if the meat still sticks to the pan; it needs more time. If you like, finish to your desired doneness in a 375°F (190°C) oven: wrap the steaks in foil and bake about 10 minutes for a 2-inch (5 cm) filet mignon, 7–8 minutes for ribeye or sirloin, or 10–15 minutes for a more well-done result. Spices can range from peppercorns to herbs and other seasonings; coarse salt is best. For frying, use vegetable or sunflower oil — if you go with butter, watch it closely, since both the butter and the meat can burn. As for equipment, a dedicated grill pan is ideal, but a cast-iron skillet works too; and if you don't have a steak knife, use your sharpest knife for slicing.
Every oil is good only up to a certain temperature — its smoke point, past which it starts to burn and form harmful compounds. Choose an oil with a high smoke point for frying.
The right pan makes a difference — a poor choice can spoil even the best recipe, so pick one suited to what you're cooking.
If you use a ready-made spice blend, read the label — many already contain salt, so adjust accordingly to avoid over-salting.