Cooking great steaks is surprisingly easy, but some like to make it complicated with basting, and excessive directions.
It is really simple- heat meets meat.
But, there are some alternatives to think about – like what characteristic you’d like your steak to have and does the size and cut of steak lend itself to the cooking process.
What does that mean?
Well, are you a McDonald’s burger fan or a flame-broiled burger fan? Same meat, different methods.
In my humble opinion, here are the best ways to cook all steaks: (in order of preference I might add!)
1. Grilled or barbecued over hardwood charcoal
2. Pan-fried or pan-roasted depending on the cut of steak. (pan-roasted works very well for thicker cuts of steak.)
3. Oven broiled
4. Grilled over gas
For me this really is a no brainer. The flavor of hardwood charcoal and steak is perfection. And if you have built your fire with cooler temperature spots, this method works with any thickness of the meat, you just have to slow down the cooking for the larger cuts.
In the absence of charcoal, pan-frying is excellent- especially if you have a cast-iron pan that can really get hot- thereby achieving a great sear. The downside? Lots of smoke and splatter, so if your house is not well ventilated this can be a problem
That’s why I like pan roasting- you get the sear and then the pan goes in the oven to continue cooking. You can look at the individual steak pages to see more about steak and their recommended cooking methods, times, and any marinades, sauces that go with them!
Tips for cooking great steaks:
Tips for cooking great steaks:
• Remove your steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature before cooking.
• Season your steaks (or marinate or rub with a steak rub ) 24 hours in advance if possible.
• Allow your steaks to develop a crust on the grill or in the pan before turning- in other words don’t rush it!
• If possible do not use a lid- Allow the steaks to sit on the grill in the open.
• The meat must rest after cooking for anywhere from 10 minutes to a smaller steak, to up to 30 minutes for a big prime rib. This allows the juices to be retained in the meat and not run out!
