April 2023
Update April 2024
Disclaimer. I have strong opinions about the cooking of beef and meat in general but accept that we are all individuals and we don’t always agree. I’ve been cooking for over 50 years and I cook food to how I like it. When Chefs and food critics say food should be cooked this way or that way, I accept that is their OPINION and that’s how they like their food cooked. It doesn’t mean we all have to agree.
Now we have that out of the way 🙂
I love meat and I’m very fond of “Dry Aged” beef. I particularly like “Aberdeen Angus 36 day matured” steak, Rump (for flavour), Sirloin (for sweetness) and Rib eye (for melt in the mouth). Beef is usually “hung” for 21 or 28 days but IMO the “Dry Aged” meat is better. Some might say that 30 or 36 day matured beef tastes a bit “Livery” so it might not be to your taste and that’s fine because we’re all individuals and quite often like different things.
I’ve recently discovered 50 Day matured beef and it was awesome. Yes, my wife and I went out for a meal and it wasn’t a “budget” place but wow, they know how to cook steak and the beef dripping sauce is to die for!
Dry aged meat tends to cost more because it shrinks during the aging process, so the butcher still has to make a profit 🙂
The advantage of “Dry Aged” beef is usually that you end up with a slab of beef that, when cooked correctly, you have a steak that is melt in the mouth and is so tender you don’t really need a knife to cut it. A good butcher selects the best cuts of meat for “Dry Aging”, he will select meat that has a good amount of “marbling” and a good layer of fat (for the taste). When you have a 36 day matured steak (Rump or Sirloin) prepared by a good butcher, it only needs cooking for maybe 2 or 3 minutes per side (for medium rare) and then allowed to rest for 10 mins. Resting is very important.
Most people will find that an 8 oz (227 g) will be sufficient for a meal but I’ve been known to polish of a 16 Oz steak! This would normally be with Chips (fries) mushroom, onions and maybe “greens” e.g. peas or whatever.
I like my steaks on the rare side of “medium rare“, where the outside is golden brown and the inside is pink but I can eat it if the inside is still “Blushing”. You need to be aware that steak / meat continues to cook when you remove it from the heat so the “Resting time” is very important. It’s worth noting that the hotter you have your pan, the hotter the meat will be and it will continue to cook for longer when removed from the heat. Keep that in mind.
Cooking a perfect steak to your liking is probably the easiest thing you can do.
Ideally you need a good strong pan / griddle, I use a cast iron frying pan or a cast iron plate (smooth side up) on the BBQ.
I’ve been cooking for over 50 years and IMO, meat is a muscle and if you throw it in a very hot pan; it will contract and possibly become tough. I’m also of the opinion that meat should never be “charred”. Brown is done, Black is buggered!
Get the pan (or hot plate) nice and hot but not “stinking hot”. I recommend that you don’t get the pan very hot because when you throw in the steak, it will brown very quickly and will most likely form a crust of “burnt” meat. I tend to put the fire under the pan and leave for few minutes and hold my hand about 6 inches over the pan. When I can’t keep my hand there for more than 10 or 15 seconds, I consider it hot enough.
When you throw in the steak in, you should just hear the “sizzle” and then cook it for a few minutes per side, once rested it should be just how you like it. The thickness of the steak governs the amount of time to cook, thick steaks often need a couple of minutes each side and keep turning / flipping over until they are ready to be removed from the pan / griddle. You could try “stabbing the steak” (make a cut to see how pink it is inside) but don’t forget, the meat will continue to cook when removed from the heat. The resting period allows the meat to continue cooking to your desired option.
If you’re one of the heathens that like to set fire to a bit of expensive meat and cook it until it is charred on the outside and is basically brown on the inside, you obviously don’t like meat 🙂 (each to their own).
Notes.
When you’re buying your steaks, look at the “Marbling” and the outer layer of fat. The marbling indicates how much connective tissue their is, connective tissue and layer of fat are needed for the taste. Ideally, your butcher should be one of your best friends and will hopefully help you choose.
You should be able to repeatedly stab the raw steaks with a fork and get little or no resistance, it should be the same after cooking. If you cannot stab the raw steak with the fork, you might need to look at a slow cooking option.
I tend to use 2 forks and stab the steaks so they have lots of small holes and then I drizzle oil, salt and pepper (on both sides) and leave at least 40 minutes or overnight when possible.
Get your steaks up to room temperature before cooking.
Don’t use a “Ribbed” pan or griddle plate, your meat needs to cook evenly and a “Flat” cooking surface is the best. Ribbed pans or griddles tend to produce meat cooked with black (burnt) lines. This means your meat is not being cooked evenly so its a bad idea!
It is better to under cook because you can always put it back in the pan.
Remember, the meat will continue to cook when removed from the heat.
You can “stab the steak” while it’s in the pan, just use a sharp knife and make a small cut so you can see how it is cooked but remember it will continue to cook when removed from the heat so if it is medium when you stab it, it will likely be well done after resting.
The best meat for flavour and tenderness comes from “Welfare fed” animals that have been treated well and are ideally grass fed and “free range”. Happy well treated animals produce the best tasting meat. Cook the meat with the respect it deserves. When you set fire to the meat and burn it to a crisp, it doesn’t have any nutritional value so you may be just as well eat the charcoal! The meat you are about to cook was once a living creature, cook it and treat it with respect.
Make sure your butcher is a friend and you won’t be palmed off with cheap tough cuts.
If you’re not in to 30 / 36 day matured meat or your budget is limited, you can still buy steaks and get reasonably tender and tasty, maybe not quite melt in the mouth steaks but still very nice. Check out the links below and have some fun.
Check out my Marinades and salting article.
Check out my To sear or not to sear article.