The secret of a good steak is quite simple. All you need is a proper cut of a good quality meat, delicious marinade, right cooking technique and a reliable way to figure out when the steak has reached the desired doneness.
I’m not going to torture you with cow anatomy 101. You just have to remember that they are cuts that are good for steaks and cuts that are not. First of all, the word “steak” on a meat package doesn’t not necessarily mean “steak” in the way most of us understand it – a tender piece of meat cooked quickly on a grill or in a pan. Like, for instance, mock tender steak, which will be quite tough if cooked like this and is best when braised for a long time.
Go on the internet, for instance here (http://www.businessinsider.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-beef-cuts-2013-4?op=1), and take a look at major beef cuts. The most tender steaks come from the back of the cow: ribs, short loin and sirloin. Fillet mignon, rib eye steak, T-bone, porterhouse, New York strip, top sirloin steak – all the best stuff are from these three beef cuts.
Then there are two cuts at the cow’s belly called flank and (short) plate. They give us flank steak and hangar steak, the latter is also known as skirt steak. These steaks are less tender since they contain lots of connective tissue, but they balance it out with loads of flavor. They are best marinated, then briefly grilled or pan fired and served thinly sliced against the grain.
Almost everything that come from chuck, brisket and shanks are not suitable for steaks. Although, there is one cut called flat iron steak that can be compared to flank steak in terms of tenderness and flavor. This steak is one of my favorites. Like flank steak and hangar steak, it makes great carne asada.
Round, which is a lower back and thighs of the cow, is a mixed basket – some pieces are good for roasting, some for braising and some for grilling like top round steak.
My personal favorites are fillet mignon (I’m not original here, I know), rib eye, T-bone/Porterhouse and flat iron steak.
Another super important thing to know about steak is its grade. In US, grades are given by US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and are based on degrees of marbling (small, thin streaks of fat in the flesh) and age of an animal. The grades are Prime, Choice and Select with Prime being the best and the rarest. In Seattle, Costco is, perhaps, the only store that sells Prime beef, most often fillet mignon and rib eye steaks. Even though they are quite expensive, they are absolutely worth every cent. Also, compared to how much they ask for these steaks in restaurants, Costco prices sound like a really good deal, no kidding.
The highest grade other stores sell is Choice and usually they make sure to indicate it on their meat package stickers. If there is no grade indicated, most likely the meat is Select.
To my taste, the difference in flavor, tenderness and juiciness between Select and Prime is like the distance from the Earth to Alpha Centauri, with Choice being right in the middle. So if you are really after a good steak, never go below Choice.
The next important thing about steak is marinade. With great steaks like Prime fillet mignon or rib eye, a sprinkle of salt and black pepper would be more than enough, but with the majority of the steaks a marinade can enhance their flavor and, sometimes, improve their texture as well.
Most marinades consist of oil, some acidic ingredient like citrus juice, vinegar or wine and aromatics, that is, spices and fresh or dried herbs. Such marinades tend to flavor meats rather than tenderize them which is perfectly OK since most good steaks don’t need to be tenderized.
Some marinades contain yogurt or buttermilk instead of both oil and acidic component and some say that they really work as tenderizers. But I never heard of using such marinades for steaks.
What can really break tough meat fibers is enzymes that can be found in kiwi, papaya, pineapple, figs, ginger and some other natural products. However, they also tend to make meat texture mushy. And when given a choice of tough vs. mushy, I’ll go for tough any day of the week.
In fact, the only steaks that may need to be slightly tenderized are flank steak, hangar steak and flat iron steak. And this can be achieved mechanically rather than chemically. I have a couple of awesome meat tenderizers with needles/blades. When you pound a steak, the multiple needles/blades pierce the flesh, breaking some tough fibers and connective tissue and letting a marinade penetrate deep inside.
As for cooking, the best ways to cook a perfect steak is by either grilling or quick frying. If your steak is on a thick side and you cook it in a pan, you may want to finish it in the oven unless you prefer your steak “blue” or rare, in which case the oven is not necessary.
If grilling, charcoal grill is absolutely the best, hands down. Besides nice browning, it gives meat nice smoky flavor. Ilya and I switched from a gas grill to a charcoal one several years ago and it was one of our best household decisions.
If pan frying, I would recommend using a cast iron pan, regular or griddle, since it tends to give better and more even coloring. However, a good thick nonstick skillet like calphalon will work great as well and requires only a dash of oil.
Recently, there’ve been lots of debates on how often to flip a steak during cooking. The old school insists on flipping only once, though modern researches show that multiple flippings result in more evenly cooked steaks.
The time of cooking will depend on how well or how rare you prefer your steak. The most reliable way to check the doneness is with a kitchen thermometer (make sure to buy one with a sensor on the very tip), but I’m not a fan of this method because it means making a hole in the meat which will inevitably lead to losing precious juices. (For the same reason I suggest using only tongs to flip steaks, not sharp forks!)
Fortunately, there are other ways to check the doneness of a steak without piercing the meat. The most popular is a “thumb touch” test. Make a circle by bringing together the tips of the thumb and index finger, then thumb and middle finger, then thumb and ring finger, and then thumb and little finger while pressing the flesh beneath and on the inside of the thumb. You will notice that it becomes harder to the touch as you gradually switch from index finger to the little one. This is approximately how your steak will feel when pressed at different stages of doneness. Thumb and index finger corresponds to Rare; thumb and middle finger to Medium Rare, thumb and ring finger to Medium, and thumb and little finger to Well Done.
Always let your steak rest for about 5-7 minutes before serving to let the juices redistribute evenly inside the meat and not run out the moment you cut into the meat. If you are afraid that the steak will become cold during the resting time, keep it on a warmed plate or in a warm (not hot!) oven or cover loosely with a piece of foil.
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