Cooking steaks - What are your best methods?

Draeger

Draeger

Draeger

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Hi,

I very rarely venture into this section of the forums so my apologies if this probably commonplace question has been asked a few times previously.

Just wondered what you guys consider the best method to cook a perfect steak?. I'm cooking 8 x Ribeye steaks for the lads at work on Monday, it's tradition that at Xmas the senior officers do all the cooking so myself and the other rank on the watch will be doing just that. We aren't complete kitchen novices but since there appears to be a plethora of experts in here do any of you fancy sharing your best steak cooking secrets?.

Many thanks in advance for any tips. :cool:
 
Make sure the steaks are at room temperature before cooking. I cover them in oil and salt.
Get a frying pan insanely hot and chuck them in.

Hopefully you'll have 8 people who like them cooked the same as otherwise it's gonna be tricky.
 
room temperature
salt 15 mins before cooking
brush oil over steaks
super hot griddle pan
flip regularly
cook for time suited for rare to slightly medium depending on cut
rest for 5 minutes with a knob of butter on top
pour juices back over steak
serve
devour
 
For ribeye, which is my fav, I'll leave them out at room temperature, get a few plates warming and get the frying pan heating up.

Season with (rock) salt and pepper and lots of olive oil. Once the pan is absolutely scorching hot (it should be smoking) I'll add oil to the pan and drop the steaks in. Do about 30 secs on one side, flip it over and drop a knob of butter on each steak and add a clove (or 3 for 8 steaks) of garlic to the pan. Flip the steaks back over so the butter is now in the pan and the garlic is sizzling in it, grab a spoon and keep scooping (basting) the pan juices over the steaks. You want the steaks to be quite soft to touch when you take them out - stick them on the warm plates and add another touch of butter to each one to melt while you fry some asparagus for a few mins in the same pan.

For rare, I normally take it off the pan when it's nice and soft and don't leave it on the warm plate too long. Medium the same but leave it on the warm plate longer and for well done it stays in the pan for an extra 20-30 secs and stays on the warm plate for an extra minute or so just to cook right through.
 
Room temp steak, very very hot dry pan (used to use a griddle pan but am finding a flat bottom cooks nice now) and extractor on full blast, olive oil and salt and pepper

Sink 1/2 full of the hottest water you can muster

I use a 10 minute method

2 mins each side for rare then 6 mins wrapped in foil and tea towels
3 mins each side for medium then 4 mins wrapped
4, 4 + 2 for well done

Then dunk your pan in the hot water, stops smoking but won't damage the pan

Never really failed
 
Liverpool-Lad said:
I was told pepper is a bad idea as it burns, guessing olive oil wont be too happy also?
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Lots of people suggest olive oil but yeah, extra virgin has a very low smoke point so I'm never sure why people suggest it. However, super mild (i.e. the most refined olive oil you can find) actually has a really high smoke point - similar to that of peanut oil/etc. Cheaper than extra virgin too so can be a good idea for steaks.

I generally add pepper at the end (along with the butter) as this gets round the burning problem whilst also releasing all the lovely pepper aromas when they're needed most.

The consta-flipping vs flip-once thing is something a lot of people disagree on. In testing I've found both to produce awesome results and I only use the flip once thing as I'm very lazy. Personal preference I guess.
 
Rotty said:
disagree re flip regularly, I turn iit just once
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Yeah. I try to turn it the least I can. Though sometimes I'll sear both sides to begin.

Agree about the pepper. If I want to pepper before cooking I'll only pepper one side and cook that side last.

All depends on what it looks like and how thick it is.
 
fluffmct said:
For ribeye, which is my fav, I'll leave them out at room temperature, get a few plates warming and get the frying pan heating up.

Season with (rock) salt and pepper and lots of olive oil. Once the pan is absolutely scorching hot (it should be smoking) I'll add oil to the pan and drop the steaks in. Do about 30 secs on one side, flip it over and drop a knob of butter on each steak and add a clove (or 3 for 8 steaks) of garlic to the pan. Flip the steaks back over so the butter is now in the pan and the garlic is sizzling in it, grab a spoon and keep scooping (basting) the pan juices over the steaks. You want the steaks to be quite soft to touch when you take them out - stick them on the warm plates and add another touch of butter to each one to melt while you fry some asparagus for a few mins in the same pan.

For rare, I normally take it off the pan when it's nice and soft and don't leave it on the warm plate too long. Medium the same but leave it on the warm plate longer and for well done it stays in the pan for an extra 20-30 secs and stays on the warm plate for an extra minute or so just to cook right through.
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You never oil the pan, especially if your already oiling the steaks. You would never add fresh garlic to a smoking hot pan, it'll just burn and go bitter instantly.

Finishing off the cooking on a warm plate, you serious?
 
Most importantly and definitely essential, all else could be debated.

Don't forget to Season
Smoking Hot pan
Steaks at room temp before cooking
Don't use extra virgin olive oil
Let them rest.
 
Room temperature steak

Add into smoking hot pan, cook to medium rare turning once only.

Add salt/pepper once rested for a couple of mins and on the plate.

Job done, well that's how i do it anyway :)
 
What is up with people here flipping the bloody thing all the time? :confused: :mad:

2-3 minutes (depending on girth) per side, turning only twice as to not loosen the tissue and loose juices. You'll get a beautiful medium-rare piece of meat that melts in your mouth.
 
Rotty said:
disagree re flip regularly, I turn iit just once
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This.

Make sure you get nice thick steak, 3/4 to 1&1/4inch thick, otherwise you get drie out leather.

Get the oven to 200-230*c, and a griddle pan insanely hot. With the steaks at room temperature and seasoned, drop on the gridle pan for about 2 minutes without touching, lip ver or another 2 minues, then into the oven for 1.5-5 minutes depending on how you want your steak, bet around 2 minutes.

Take out and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Always verge on undercooking, never ruin a steak by over cooking. If someone leant lie a rare steak en waiting 1 more minute may be enough, otherwise back on. The griddle for 1 minute a side.


Deglaze te pan with a splash of red wine.
 
Lol I think a few keys on your keyboard are not working!

I tend to leave them to get up to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Brush some oil over and season with some garlic salt and ground black pepper. Get the pan hot and smoking. Then drop the steaks into the pan with the fat towards the side of the pan. 2 mins on each side then back to the original side, add a nob of butter and leave to rest for another 4 mins. Serve on a walm plate with some nice chips and pour juices over the steak. That should get you a nice steak (about an inch thick) medium rare. Nomnomnom...
 
Depends what your steak looks like. This is what I imagine it looks like and therefore the hot and fast method is perfect though it will leave the edge fat mostly inedible.

kMv5Jl.jpg


If it looks like this then use this method: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/119838-the-best-way-to-cook-a-thick-steak/

GtKDR.jpg
 
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