Cooking steak
There are many different ways to cook steak and
everyone will have their own preferred method.
There are also a number of factors that can affect
the end result before you even get to the cooking
stage. This section provides details on preparation through a step-by-step guide to cooking steak to your preference.
Preparation
As with all raw meat, steak can contain harmful bacteria that can spread easily
to anything it comes into contact with including other foods, worktops, chopping
boards, tongs/spatulas and knives.
To avoid any cross contamination problems, always follow these golden rules:
- Never let raw meat, or its juices, come into contact with other foods
- Wash your hands between handling raw and cooked meats
- Use separate tools and chopping boards for handling raw and cooked meats
- Store raw meat at the bottom of the fridge where it cannot touch or drip onto other foods and ensure it is fully covered
If you use frozen steaks, thaw them thoroughly in the fridge ensuring any resulting defrosting liquid is kept away from other foods.
Do not thaw steaks using a microwave as it may tighten the meat and make it tough.
Step 1
Oiling
- Using a pastry brush, coat the steak with olive oil or vegetable oil.
- By oiling the steak, instead of the grill or pan, you will prevent it from burning and sticking to the heated surface. It will also help to caramelise the steak and give it extra colour.
Step 2
Seasoning
- After oiling, sprinkle the steak with ground sea salt to help bring out the flavour of the meat and keep it juicy.
- Then sprinkle the oiled, salted steak with freshly ground black pepper to add extra seasoning and a crunch.
- Repeat on each side.
The equipment used to cook steak, such as a grill, frying pan or griddle, affects the cooking times required to achieve specific degrees of cooking. As indeed does the cut of the steak, in terms of its weight, thickness and fat covering. So whilst over the page provides you with some approximate cooking times to achieve specific degrees, based on cooking a 2cm thick steak using a griddle or frying pan, this is intended to act as a rough guide. It is recommended that you perfect your own timings for each degree of cooking by practising and recording the timings to ensure consistency for cooking steak.
How to cook a perfect medium steak 2cm thick (3/4" approx)
Method
- Ensure the pan/griddle/grill is VERY HOT before starting to cook.
- Place the oiled steak into a hot pan or onto a hot griddle/grill and listen for the sizzle as it hits the hot surface. This process seals the juices and succulence into the steak and kills any bacteria present on its surface.
- Cook the first side for 4 minutes* without touching
the meat.
- Using tongs/spatula gently turn the steak over
to cook the other side for the same amount of time.
- Remove the steak from the pan/griddle/grill and place on a warmed plate.
- Test the resistance of the steak to check if it is cooked as required – Medium* steak should feel slightly soft when pressed using the back of your tongs or spatula.
- NB: Be careful not to break the surface of the steak when you test the resistance as this will cause the juice to run out.
- If ready, leave to rest for no more than 1 minute whilst you plate up the side dishes and serve immediately.
*Refer to the cooking times on the guide above for your preference in terms of how you like the steak cooked. This is an approximate guide for 2cm thick steak cooked on a griddle or in a frying pan.
Cooking times will vary depending on the size/thickness of the steak, temperature of the pan/griddle/ grill, amount of steak being cooked at the time and whether the heat source comes from above, below or both.
Medium-rare 3 mins
Medium 4 mins
Medium-well done 5 mins
Well done 6 mins
Top tips
- If you are using a griddle pan or a frying pan, don’t try and cook too many steaks at once as the temperature will drop and affect the cooking.
- Always serve steak on a warmed plate.
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