There are so many ways to cook steak that people have written books about it – about the ideal cut of meat, the perfect fry pan, the right oil and the best technique. Here are 3 popular methods:
Traditional: fry for 3 – 4 minutes on each side. Works best in cast iron, carbon steel pans or barbeques, with lots of oil, lots of heat, lots of splatter and lots of smoke. The fried steak smell hangs around days.
Reverse Sear – warm the meat in the oven for half and hour, then sear it in a hot fry pan. It’s effective and a lot less messy, just takes more prep.
Sous Vide – cook the meat in water in a sealed bag at precise temps, with an element in control, then sear it in a hot pan. It takes 1 – 3 hours, and is very involved.
Cold Sear – clean & easy, takes just 10 minutes, and turns the whole show on its head. Here’s how the Cold Sear method works
You add the steak to a non-stick fry pan, both at room temperature, and turn up the heat past medium but not full-on. There’s no need to add oil or butter since there’s enough fat in the steak.
After 2 minutes, flip the steak and cook for another 2 minutes. That’s enough for a crust to form and seal in the juices.
Now repeat the process with the heat turned down to medium. After 8 minutes, you’ll have a juicy medium-rare steak that’s cooked evenly right through. Cook for 2 – 4 more minutes if you prefer medium.
The steak is perfect, with no splatter of fat all over the stove, and not enough smoke in the kitchen to set off the fire alarm.
At America’s Test Kitchen, Lan Lam covers the different methods in a detailed, easy-to-follow video.
The Best Cut of Meat
The Americans reckon that rib eye is the best. Down under, it’s sold without the bone, and called Scotch Fillet.
Look for a piece that’s about 3cm thick, with a generous spread of marbling
Bon Appetit
Kim