Cooking steak tonight and I always get it wrong

Stat Brother · Aug 11, 2015

Having searched 'steak' I was surprised by the lack of cooking tips for something that is easily cockupable.

The only one I've found so far is this from [MENTION=21314]Raleigh Chopper[/MENTION]:-

After years of experimenting I do a decent steak.
Steak rested at room temperature.
Pan very hot.
A coating of groundnut oil, salt and pepper.
Place in pan do not move it, cook it to your choice.
Put a knob of butter in pan for final 30 seconds.
Take off heat and leave to rest for 10 mins.

RC highlights a couple of the same mistakes I always make, pan not hot enough and I can't stop myself from turning the bloody thing over.

But nevertheless I know I'm still not going to end up with a nice 1/2 an inch thick, medium rare, sirloin steak.

Any other advice for what is a dark art to me, would be greatly appreciated.

After I'll be eating some Yeo Valley Lemon Curd yogurt, which will be glorious.

Woodchip · Aug 11, 2015

You hoping for some clenbuterol on that steak?

Stat Brother · Aug 11, 2015

Woodchip said:
You hoping for some clenbuterol on that steak?

Not after the amount of erythropoietin I've just necked.

Sod the bicycle I feel like I could run a snickers.

Acker79 · Aug 11, 2015

Heston Blumenthal advises turning it every 30secs.
Jamie Oliver recommends turning it every 60secs.

I tend to split the difference and go with 45secs, tends to work for me.

Diablo · Aug 11, 2015

I prefer Grilling..If you like rare..grill red hot, Steak very close,time depending on thickness of Steak...Medium Steak slightly further away but cooked for longer..Well done(ruined) further away and longer cooking.

The Andy Naylor Fan Club · Aug 11, 2015

Acker79 said:
Heston Blumenthal advises turning it every 30secs.
Jamie Oliver recommends turning it every 60secs.

I tend to split the difference and go with 45secs, tends to work for me.

There we differ, I never turn mine more than once.

Very hot pan, no oil ( If you want to use oil, then oil the steak and not the pan ).
Season the steak.

Medium = 3 minutes each side
Medium/Well = 4 minutes each side
Well = 5 minutes each side

Leave to rest for at least 5 minutes. Based on a steak the thickness as mentioned.

DarrenFreemansPerm · Aug 11, 2015

Firstly,I would do away with the 'not moving it' procedure, seems odd. You no doubt know, by now, how long you cook it for as you've specified your preference. Bearing that in mind turn the steak at least 4 times so each turn gets an equal amount of time cooking. Pan needs to be smoking hot, and only oil the steak.

Wrong-Direction · Aug 11, 2015

2mins either side for sirloin, melts in the mouth!

Creaky · Aug 11, 2015

And don't forget to deglaze the pan with a little red wine

Wrong-Direction · Aug 11, 2015

Turn once and don't move it!

Doc Lynam · Aug 11, 2015

Well season meat, hot pan, veg oil, let meat brown off, turn when you choose (try overestimating the cook through the meat because you can always give it more not less),
put a knife in meat and see how much blood and juice comes out, or make a small cut in meat at one side to see how deep you have cooked. Have pan ready to go on the side at the end if you realise it needs another blast.

Another helpful tip

pishhead · Aug 11, 2015

Allow steak to come up to room temperature. Get pan scaldingly hot. Oil the steak not the pan, dont season as burnt pepper tastes horrible. Cook 2 mins each side, take off the heat and allow to rest. Then season and in the same pan rest with the fatty side resting in the pan. Always allow the steak to rest for as long as you have cooked it for.

BensGrandad · Aug 11, 2015

I read a receipe from James Martin he said salt & pepper each side then 30secs each side in a hot pan then place in hot oven for 3. 4 or 5 mins depending on rare medium or well done. Then take out and leave to rest for 10 mins, this has never let me down. I always have steak rare irrespective of cut.

When my wife is cooking it she does as above having cooked the mushrooms and tomatoes and saute potatoes and puts them all in the oven while she deep fries the onion rings. Absolutely lovely.

albionite · Aug 11, 2015

Stat Brother said:
Having searched 'steak' I was surprised by the lack of cooking tips for something that is easily cockupable.

The only one I've found so far is this from [MENTION=21314]Raleigh Chopper[/MENTION]:-

After years of experimenting I do a decent steak.
Steak rested at room temperature.
Pan very hot.
A coating of groundnut oil, salt and pepper.
Place in pan do not move it, cook it to your choice.
Put a knob of butter in pan for final 30 seconds.
Take off heat and leave to rest for 10 mins.

RC highlights a couple of the same mistakes I always make, pan not hot enough and I can't stop myself from turning the bloody thing over.

But nevertheless I know I'm still not going to end up with a nice 1/2 an inch thick, medium rare, sirloin steak.

Any other advice for what is a dark art to me, would be greatly appreciated.

After I'll be eating some Yeo Valley Lemon Curd yogurt, which will be glorious.

More or less spot on, I wouldn't add any salt to the steak untill it's cooked.

Marinade the streak first in olive oil ,garlic ,onion add kiwi juice or lime juice to the marinade this will break down the meat and make it more tender.

Guinness Boy · Aug 11, 2015

Raleigh Chopper isn't far off.

Hot pan but NOT smoking. Dry pan. Brush the steak on both sides with olive oil and season with salt an pepper. I only turn once.

The crucial thing though is NOT to time it. Steaks are cut to different thicknesses unless you get yours from a place that has a consistent machine for cutting them that never gets re-calibrated. The way to test them is to press lightly on the top and compare it to a "press test" on your hand.

Make a circle of your thumb and first finger With your other hand press lightly on the piece of flesh beneath your thumb and remember it. That's what a rare steak feels like. Then do the same with your thumb and middle finger. That's what medium rare feels like.

If it's any tighter than that then you've ****ed it and you might as well have crisps and salad for dinner.

Codner pharmaceuticals · Aug 11, 2015

Plenty of salt and pepper before cooking.

Guinness Boy · Aug 11, 2015

I see [MENTION=19921]Doc Lynam[/MENTION] beat me to it

BigGully · Aug 11, 2015

Guinness Boy said:
Raleigh Chopper isn't far off.

Hot pan but NOT smoking. Dry pan. Brush the steak on both sides with olive oil and season with salt an pepper. I only turn once.

The crucial thing though is NOT to time it. Steaks are cut to different thicknesses unless you get yours from a place that has a consistent machine for cutting them that never gets re-calibrated. The way to test them is to press lightly on the top and compare it to a "press test" on your hand.

Make a circle of your thumb and first finger With your other hand press lightly on the piece of flesh beneath your thumb and remember it. That's what a rare steak feels like. Then do the same with your thumb and middle finger. That's what medium rare feels like.

If it's any tighter than that then you've ****ed it and you might as well have crisps and salad for dinner.

If you need to do the the 'thumb & forefinger pinching' trick to know how your steak is done, then you're doomed, eat a plate of pasta and save yourself some money .......

Guinness Boy · Aug 11, 2015

BigGully said:
If you need to do the the 'thumb & forefinger pinching' trick to know how your steak is done, then you're doomed, eat a plate of pasta and save yourself some money .......

Yes, yes, there's literally no one on the internet recommending you do it that way. Far better to set a watch and pray.

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sour...v=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how to test for steak doneness

lethaldrizzle · Aug 11, 2015

I feel people don't put enough emphasis on the importance of letting it come up to room temperature before cooking. If it's a fat steak that means getting it out of the fridge a good few hours before you cook it. Sounds stupid but it's easy to forget to leave enough time (a mistake I've definitely made in the past).

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