Cooking and Eating the Perfect Steak

Handy cheat sheet for useful kitchen knowledge

2012-08-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

This cheat sheet for the kitchen is mighty impressive. Not only does it give a decent basic outline of cuts of meat, but also helps out when you're trying to remember how to do the accompaniments to your latest steak dish.

So take note, and enjoy a well-stocked fridge, more knowledgeable about where the cuts of meat come from, and an all-important and always useful imperial-to-metric converter. Also great to remind you of the cooking times for veggies.
To view it in it's full glory, right click and select view image, then click on it to magnify it.

If you'd like to find a printable version of this cheat sheet, visit the Everest kitchens page.

Embed Kitchen Cheat Sheet on Your Site: Copy and Paste the Code Below

Cuts of Beef: Onglet, Skirt or Hanger Steak

2010-08-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Onglet, Skirt, or Hanger Steak is slightly less well-known to non-steak fans than some of the more common cuts of beef, but you'd be silly not to try it. Not only is it sometimes rather reasonably priced, but sometimes the cut was called 'butcher's steak' because they tended to keep it for themselves rather than selling it!

It's typically about 1-1.5lbs and v-shaped with a long, inedible membrane down the middle.

It's not particularly tender, but it's full of flavour. Marinate it, and then cook it quickly over a high heat, serving it rare or medium rare.

And you'll notice it isn't necessarily an attractive cut of meet, hence why it tends to be served sliced.

Did you know Amazon has a 'celebrity chefs' section?

2010-07-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

How on earth did I miss this? Amazon has a section devoted to Celebrity Chefs!

And there's an interesting deal on at the moment, until August 1:

Buy one of the selected Raymond Blanc Saucepans and get a Raymond Blanc Frying Pan Free!

Interestingly in the general area, it seems that the Circulon range are the bestsellers when it comes to pots and pans. I don't know if they were there before the current 25% off Circulon Cookware offer, but the reviews seem pretty reasonable.

There are really only two things that make a huge difference when you're cooking a basic steak - the quality of the ingredients, and the quality of the tools!

What types of meat make the perfect steak?

2009-12-06T07:42:00.001-08:00

I've relaised there's a definition missing from my search for the perfect steak. Because technically, you can not only have a fish steak, but certain cuts of lamb, and even chicken can qualify!

So for the record - the perfect steak must be red meat. No fish, and no chicken. Lamb is a bit of a weird area, but I'll allow it in for the sake of clarity on the rules (And I quite like lamb). Having Swedish family, moose is allowed. And to celebrate Christmas, reindeer also makes the list.

Incidentally, having mentioned Sweden, it's reminded me of something great that I need to sample again - Plank Steak. I'd never heard of it until a trip to Sweden a few years ago (sadly I didn't have a camera or a steak blog at the time!), and it's an experience. Simply put, it's a way to cook a steak on a plank of wood, which can keep it very moist and tasty.

The Swedish example I had was on a plank big enough to form part of Noah's Ark, with a steak big enough to feed a family of three, and the potato piped around the edge couldn't be eaten until halfway through the meal as it was to contain a litre of Bearnaise sauce from escaping everywhere. It was great!

I need to invest in a board before I try the recipe myself, but heres what looks like a suitable recipe to not only cooking plank steak, but also preparing the planks themselves.

Meat, potatos, sauce and a plank of wood. It doesn't get much better!

There's only one way to celebrate having a steak night...

2009-10-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

If you're planning an evening with the best steak possible - whether you're eating out or staying in - there's now only one way to celebrate, courtesy of JD and Turk from Scrubs:

And who can blame them?

Cooking a steak the cowboy way in just one minute

2009-09-09T01:13:00.000-07:00

Whether or not you're a fan of Jamie Oliver, his latest programme from America is well worth watching if you're a steak lover.

Early on he joins a group of rodea riders as they cook some inch-thick beef in just a minute, by skewering it onto a pitchfork, and then dropping it into an extremely hot cauldron of pork fat. In just a minute, it's ready, and it apparently turns slightly crunchy due to the speed at which it has been cooked.

You can watch it online at 4oD - it's the Jamie's American Road Trip Wyoming episode.

I'm quite tempted to try it myself, but I'll need to find a cauldron which doesn't come inscribed with pentragrams and symbols...

I'm as unlikely to goth cookware as I am to dress in a stetson every time I want a decent steak...

Uses for an overcooked steak

2009-08-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sadly, into everyone's life, an overcooked steak will come. It could be a bad restaurant, a partner who just refuses to follow the basic principles (or deal with the griddle pan afterwards), or in an extreme case, you may have got distracted by an emergency (the end of the world is justifiable, anything less is just a waste).

So assuming you're left with an overcooked steak, and every time you attempt to slice it with a knife you're risking a fire from the friction, here are some options:

1. Hockey Puck: Suitable from ice hockey or street hockey - just watch out for very desperate carnivores attempting to eat your puck mid-game.

2. Frisbee: Safer than hockey (Unless you're in an area with lots of birds of prey)

3. Shuriken: Going beyond the frisbee approach - you could carve yourself a meaty ninja throwing star.

4. Wedging doors and tables: Got a wonky table or chair leg? The thin cut steaks which often turn dry and solid are the perfect width for balancing furniture or propping under a door to keep it open.

5. Meat business cards: Yes, these really do exist!

So what other suggestions have you got?

Which Supermarket offers the best pre-packed steak?

2009-08-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Like any fan of good quality steak, ideally I tend to buy direct from local farms or from independent butchers.
But like anyone, there are plenty of times when I can't get to somewhere, and I have to make do with the supermarket.
Fortunately some meat counters and some packaged meat is pretty edible - I tend to favour one particular supermarket in terms of price and quality, but I want to see who other people might recommend, hence the following poll. I don't think I've left any UK supermarkets out, but you can add one if I have - this isn't the poll to fight the corner of the local butcher!
And if you're a non-UK visitor, then please don't feel left out - post any names relevant to your country and I'll run another poll soon...

Nigel Slater's recipe for Steak in the Tuscan manner

2009-05-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of Nigel Slater's book of quick (30-45 minute) recipes,Real Fast Food, even though it only has one recipe for cooking steaks.
It's a Tuscan recipe with very few ingredients, and is as follows:

The steak should be no more than 3cm/11/4 inches thick.

Rub the steak with enough olive oil to make the steak shiny and slippery all over, but no more than that.

Grind a little black pepper over the meat.

Cook the meat over charcoal, under the grill, or on a griddle pan.

Put the steaks onto warm plates, squeeze a quarter of a lemon over each steak and grind over a little salt.

Eat.

Home-cooked steak: Essential Tools - The Meat Hammer

2009-05-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Whether you call it a 'Meat Hammer' or a 'Meat Tenderizer' (Which can also be enzymes added to your steak before cooking), a mallet with rows of small pyramid spikes on the end is worth its weight in wood/metal.

If you're ever going to try and make a decent steak out of cheaper meat, the meat hammer is used to soften the connecting fibres and tissues, which stops you ending up with meat-flavoured chewing gum. It doesn't need you to whack the hell out of your steak, but does need a firm malleting to have the best effect.

My own hammer, pictured above, was a dirt cheap impulse buy from IKEA, as someone had mentioned it was a good idea, but I wasn't convinced. But after using it for the first time on some supermarket steak, I was instantly converted - and even the non-steak lover I live with said she could tell the difference.

Some tips:
1. Wood is good for a dirt cheap trial, but besides the sit-com risk of the head of the mallet flying off if it's badly made, there's also the risk of it cracking with the combination of frequent washing and hammering steaks.
2. Think about the surface you're going to whack away at - you'll need a wooden or plastic chopping board, rather than a glass one unless you want to wake everyone up or you want a crunchy glass coating on your beef.
3. There may be some splatter - clear a safe spot, and wipe up afterwards.

There's quite a wide range available online from retailers like Amazon, from the reasonable price of £2 for a wooden mallet to a whopping £31.05 for the Westmark Steakmaster Steak Hammer, which could also be used to scare thieves or by the Spanish Inquisition. It's really down to personal taste, but when I renew my meat hammer, it'll be one of the metal versions for around the £10 mark - for instance, something like the OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderiser...

A selection of meat hammers on Amazon.com from £2 to £32

Home-Cooked Steak: Essential Tools - The Griddle Pan

2009-04-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest, and admit that despite a little bit of research, I still have no idea whether the correct term is a 'Griddle Pan' or a 'Ridged Skillet'.
But having spent a little bit of time trying to cook a decent steak in a normal flat frying pan, I can only say that the cast iron Griddle Pan is the most essential part of cooking a steak once you've found a decent piece of meat.

That's mine. I can't remember how much it cost exactly, but probably around £20, and it's the best money I've spent on a cooking implement.

Aside from the fact it gives you the great char-grilled lines you see in every advert for every steakhouse, it also has one other incredibly important feature.

Those ridges not only mean that the oil and fat can drain away from the meat without leaving it entirely, but should someone mistakenly put the meat in a normal frying pan at too low a heat, you can end up with something akin to dog food as it starts to stew in the oil and fat. This way, you've still got a chance of saving it.

Top tip: To get the best result, not only do you need to get the pan nice and hot before adding the meat, but you also need to discipline yourself not to move/turn the meat straight away, and not to keep fussing with it. Once the meat has entered the pan, leave it for at least a good couple of minutes, depending on how well done you want it.

However, there are three major things to consider when using a griddle pan:

1. A cast iron griddle pan needs to be seasoned, and needs to build up that patina of carbonised meat and fat etc to be at it's best. Here's what I'd recommended, lifted from Nigel Slater to avoid retyping it:

· Seal your pan by washing it with a pan scrubber to remove any loose bits of iron from the manufacturing process, then drying it very thoroughly. Oil it all over - don't miss a centimetre. Heat the pan and let it cool naturally several times before you first use it.

· Heat the pan gently, then keep the heat steady. It will take a while to heat up, so put it on 4 or 5 minutes before you need it.

· Wipe out your pan with a soft cloth or kitchen roll at first. You can use soap and water when it gets a patina.

· Always dry your pan carefully, preferably hanging it up for storage.

2. When cooking steak, you need to heat the pan to a temperature known as s**t hot before putting the meat in to seal it properly. But heating a seasoned pan also gives off more smoke than the Marlboro Man. It's like being at the front of a Pink Floyd gig, only with real floating pigs which accidentally fell in the smoke machines. Ideally you need an extractor fan, or to have at least disabled the smoke alarm for a few minutes.

If you don't have an extractor fan, be prepared for the meaty smell to linger - it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make, but I'll admit that in deference to my family, I might have to invest in some scented candles or something similar.

3. I've saved the most important bit for last. A griddle pan is a big lump of iron with an iron handle. Iron transmits heat. And so will the handle. Even when you've programmed yourself to only touch the pan with an oven glove or teatowel protecting your hands, you've always got to remember to warn anyone else likely to come into the kitchen - particularly those who you know can't help fussing and moving things.

If you're tempted:

Griddle Pans via Amazon

Size isn't everything in a homecooked steak

2009-04-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

But considering this is just over half of the steak I bought on special offer at Morrisons, there are times when it's quite nice to just grab a huge lump of meat on the cheap (From memory it was about £4-£5 for a nice enough cheap steak for two people).

Documenting my search for the best steak...

2009-04-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

There are few things in life as quick, simple and satisfying as a good steak.

It's a big hunk of meat, and for the best results, it needs a short amount of time on something extremely hot, giving you the feeling of danger and excitement that only spitting fat with a temperature of molten lava can bring.

And for most men (and women), eating a bloody steak is as close as we'll get to actually going out and hunting a wild beast for our meals - which means it's as close to manliness as you get when you're in your home kitchen, or sat in an expensive restaurant.

So I started this blog as a way to record the best (and worst) steak encounters I have, whether cooking at home, or eating out, as a way to remember which places to go, which recipes to use, and which butchers and shops provide the best ingredients.

It will be updated as and when I get the chance to indulge my meat eating....