Unless you’re running with the “veggies only” crowd, a well-seasoned and expertly prepared cut of meat is the centrepiece of any delicious meal. Indeed, just reading the word “steak” can stimulate carnivorous cravings and send you darting for the nearest grill. Of course, before you get sizzling, you’ll want to know how to cook steak to perfection. Whether you’re a kitchen rookie or a culinary extraordinaire, there’s no harm in reaping a few pointers. For that, we’ve hand-selected some of the best recipes on YouTube to bring you a step-by-step guide on how to cook steak.
Quick Tips on How to Cook Steak to Perfection
We’re not going to try and compete with the pros mentioned below, but we do have a few essential tips that never let us down:
1. Make sure your steak is always warmed to room temperature before cooking, and at least 20-30 minutes out of the refrigerator.
2. Keep your steak well-trimmed of fat.
3. Always use coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) and fresh ground black pepper.
4. Once steak is cooked, remove from heat, and let sit for at least five minutes before cutting/serving.
1. Marc Forgione’s Un-Fuckupable Ribeye
Ingredients
+ 1 quality dry-aged tomahawk ribeye steak
+ Melted butter, or preferably “meat mop,” if available (a.k.a., the liquefied renderings from dry-aged meat scraps)
Method
1. Baste steak on both sides with butter or meat mop. Heavily salt both sides.
2. Preheat Oven to 190°C (370°F)
3. Cook steak in a cast iron skillet over stove on high heat.
4. Patiently cook evenly on both sides, to a consistent, dark brown “crusty” layer.
5. Baste meat frequently with the butter and juices from the skillet.
6. Remove steak from pan, place on tray with rack and cook in oven until medium rare (unless you’re one of those tasteless rubbery, well-done steak types).
7. Allow steak to rest for 8-10 minutes
8. For serving, slice meat off of bone, and then slice (“butterfly”) against grain into medium size strips.
9. Baste with skillet juices and salt/pepper to taste.
10. Rest steaks before serving.
2. Jamie Oliver’s Tender Perfection
Ingredients
+ A cut of quality beef of your choice (Jamie prefers the featherblade steak, also known as the flat iron steak)
+ Olive Oil
+ Fresh clove of garlic, sliced
+ Butter
+ Your choice of fresh herbs
Method
1. Drizzle/baste steak with olive oil. Heavily salt and pepper both sides.
2. Heat skillet (or grill) to high, and heavily drizzle with olive oil. Place meat onto cooking surface.
3. Flip steak from one side to the other about every minute to cook evenly on both sides, and to keep meat moist in the middle.
4. Rub steak frequently on each side with freshly sliced clove of garlic.
5. After rubbing with garlic, frequently apply light butter to each side of steak while cooking.
6. Dip fresh herbs in skillet juices, and brush steak frequently once butter has caramelized.
7. Cook to taste, depending on thickness of steak – medium rare ideally, but not more than medium.
8. For serving, slice (“butterfly”) into thin strips.
9. Baste generously with mixture of skillet juices and olive oil.
10. Rest steaks before serving.
3. Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Seared Beef Scrumptuousness
Ingredients
+ Two cuts of quality sirloin beef
+ Olive Oil
+ Fresh clove of garlic, crushed
+ Sprigs of fresh thyme
+ Sliced pats of butter
Method
1. Heavily salt and pepper steaks on both sides.
2. Heat skillet to high, and drizzle with olive oil. Place meat, laying away from you, onto skillet.
3. Flip steaks from one side to the other to sear evenly on both sides.
4. After steaks have started turning golden brown and surface is becoming caramelized, tip pan slightly to gather, but not spill juices, and to sear stacked steaks against inside of tilted pan for a moment or two.
5. Rub steaks with garlic, turning from one side to the other every minute.
6. Lace steaks in skillet with thyme for aromatizing, and baste with more olive oil (to prevent burning).
7. Place sliced pats of butter into skillet among steaks and thyme, and baste steaks as butter melts.
8. Brush steaks with fresh garlic.
9. Cook to taste, depending on thickness of steak – rare to medium rare ideally.
10. For serving, slice (“butterfly”) into thin strips.
4. Michael Lomonaco’s No-Nonsense Artisan Fire Steak
Ingredients
+ Cut of quality beef of your choice
Method
1. Heavily salt (but don’t pepper) steak on both sides, immediately before cooking.
2. Heat skillet, broiler or grill to high, and apply steak.
3. Flip steaks from one side to the other to cook evenly on both sides.
4. Cook to taste, depending on thickness of steak – medium rare ideally, to preserve tenderness and flavor.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Rest steaks before serving.
5. Grant Crilly’s Sous Vide Steak
Ingredients
+ Cut of quality beef of your choice
+ Olive Oil
+ Fresh bay leaf or other herbs
+ Butter
Method
1. Heavily salt and pepper steak on both sides. Place steak to marinate in sealed plastic boiling bag with olive oil and bay leaf/herbs.
2. Place steak, still in marinade bag, into hot, simmering water to about 54°C (129°F) for 45 to 120 minutes, depending on thickness.
3. You may now broil, grill, smoke, sear, or deep fry steak to preference.
To sear steak, once removed from hot water and plastic marinade bag:
5. Butter skillet generously and heat to high before applying meat.
6. Sear evenly until brown with bay leaf/herbs, 2-3 minutes each side, sliding steak in circular motion around skillet for even cooking.
7. Remove from heat and drizzle with butter/juices.
8. Rest steaks before serving.
9. Slice and serve.
And there you have it. Now you know how to cook a steak to perfection in more ways than one.
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