Spotlight Marginalia

cookinginthecity:

How to cook a good steak

There’s something about a juicy rib eye or aged sirloin with a glass of red wine.  The steak should have a golden brown crust on the outside, but still pink on the inside. A quality piece of meat doesn’t need any sauce - the natural juices and sweetness of the steak is more than enough. Here are the simple steps that I follow to make sure I don’t ruin a good piece of meat.

Take steak out of fridge at least 30mins beforehand to allow it to come up to room temperature.

Just before cooking, pat the steak dry and season with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and olive oil. Oiling the steak rather than the pan gives better results.

Heat grill pan to high - there should be a sizzle when you put the steak on otherwise you may be stewing instead of grilling the meat.

Cook for 2-3mins each side for rare, or 3-5mins for medium-rare. Adjust the heat to medium if the steak starts to over-char.

Make sure you get a good sear on the underside before turning over, and try to only turn once to prevent it from drying out.

Remove steak from pan and let rest for 5mins to allow the juices to relax back into the meat. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the steak (optional). Serve immediately.

Self improvement in 2012