Why does cooking the perfect steak sometimes seem like such a difficult task? There certainly is a lot of smoke and mirrors around how to cook a piece of meat that is tender, flavorsome, and moist. Many have been debates about cooking times, temperatures, and techniques, but luckily there’s this nifty little thing called “the internet”, which happens to be an infinite resource for information.
Especially on how to cook that perfect steak every time.
Well, here’s one Dad to the rescue!
Dave Beaulieu, and his YouTube food channel “No Recipe Required” have countless tips on a plethora of elements of cooking. Luckily, he’s got 5 great tips, which he shares in one helpful video on how to cook the perfect steak.
1: Know your steak
Dave begins by advising us to know what we’re working with.
It’s essential to know if we’re cooking a ribeye or new york strip. Are you prepping a fillet mignon or a T-bone? Being aware of the particular nature of the cut you’re cooking means you can make educated choices about how to prep and cook it. The thickness, whether there’s a bone, or the quality are all factors that determine the best way to prepare and serve.
2: Propper seasoning
Dave explains that what he means by this, is predominantly salt and pepper. He does explain, however, that you can always add other spices, such as cumin or paprika. A little garlic salt never hurt anybody either!
Dave recommends lightly coating each side and administering more seasoning for the thicker cuts.
3: Getting a good sear
It’s no secret that putting a hefty sear on your steak gives it that extra char, caramelization, and flavor that takes a steak from being blah to BLAM!
To do this well, you want to get your pan hot…really hot. Dave explains that a good way to check this is to drop a few drips of water into the pan, and if it slides around on the pan with seemingly no friction, the pan is ready.
Now you can sear your steak for approximately 4 minutes on each side, or until each side has your desired level of char. Then, it’s time to finish off the actual cooking of your steak in the oven. That’s usually about 8 minutes at 400° F.
4: Doneness
If you want something done, you better do it well…or…medium…or rare.
There are two ways Dave shows us how to do this
The first is with a meat thermometer, where you can pull the steak out at about 125-130 for medium-rare. Just be aware that excess puncturing of the steak can cause the loss of those precious juices.
Another great way is with the firmness test. This requires touching various fingers to your thumb, and with your other hand pressing the fleshy muscle at the base of your thumb. Watch Dave’s demonstration in the video below to see how it’s done!
5: Give it a rest will ya?
All good things come to those who wait, and that counts double for grilled meat. Wrapping your meat (in foil or butcher’s paper) and letting it rest for 5-10 minutes after you take it off the grill will allow the juices to “settle”. They’ll stay in the meat itself rather than dripping out prematurely, resulting in dry meat.
Watch Dave’s video below to see the expert do what he does best!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
