Friday, December 26, 2008

Cooking a nice steak



To invest much time and money on the steaks for a special occasion and when it reaches the dinner table, are difficult. What happened? How do you cook steaks as tender as your favorite restaurant?

The first step in cooking a good steak is the right to choose the degree of steak. The quality beef USDA Prime is ranked higher and prices of the commands above. USDA Prime grade beef is sold to the restaurant industry and specialty markets and are less likely to be found at the local supermarket chain. The next grade of beef is USDA choice. USDA Choice is tender, tasty and only slightly lower in quality than USDA Prime. The meat is made of marble and fat, juicy and tender when properly prepared. USDA choice is about 70% of all classified and the beef is readily available in your supermarket. The USDA classifies beef is good an acceptable quality of beef that has a minimum of fat marbling. It is agile, but may not be as tender as USDA Prime or choice.

Next, look at the color and texture of the meat. Good meat should be firm to the touch, moist and bright in color. Should be so thin marble with white streaks of fat in and around a thin crust of meat abroad. In our society aware of fat, they tend to look for lean cuts of meat, but the thin streaks of white marble of fat throughout the meat are the key to a tender juicy meat.

The most tender and juicy steaks come from the tenderloin, short loin and the rib. These include sirloin steaks steaks, Porterhouse steaks, T-bone steaks, rib steaks, fillets delmonico and filet mignons. Fillets of bones which weighed more than those without, but the bone adds flavor to the meat.

Aging is a desirable process that intensifies the flavors and makes the meat more tender. Fillets of age are more expensive and usually found only in upscale supermarkets and specialty markets. Aged steak is recognizable by its darker color.

Once you have purchased your meat, you can further enhance the tenderness and juiciness for marinating. Try a marinade ½ cup each of wine and olive oil 2 tablespoons of mixture of lemon juice or vinegar herbs. Add any seasonings you like, like garlic, freshly ground pepper, onion, or herbs. Place meat in a ziplock bag, pour in enough marinade to cover the fair, and refrigerate overnight. A steak marinated like to add flavor and tenderness. If you usually store the meat in the freezer before cooking, try pouring the marinade over the meat before freezing. Marinate meat and defrost when you're ready to cook.

There is a provision of meat tenderizers sprinkle on your meat, and certainly do tenderize meat, meat tenderizers but sometimes more can tenderize the meat, changing the texture of the meat in Mush. If you choose this path, do so gently.

When ready to cook, slash through the outside layer of fat from the meat in some places to prevent curling, but not cut into the flesh. The most tender cuts of meat can be grilled, roasted, fried or bread. Less tender cuts should be pan fried or braised slowly. Steak should never be cooked in liquid. Grilled bread, use a heavy skillet, such as an iron plate or pan and heat the pan before adding the meat. Heavy metals heat to maintain the proper distribution of heat and not cool when the meat is added. A hot pan quickly Sear the outside, trapping moisture inside.

When cooking, try to turn the meat only once. Cook the beef until browned on one side and half done, and then turn to finish the other side. Referring often to the stew meat instead of the vast and produce less juicy steak. When the meat is done, remove from pan and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

While the meat rests you can make a sauce pan with the fat, if desired. Use your favorite sauce, or fried mushrooms and onions in the pan. When almost done, add one tablespoon each of butter and flour and cook until lightly browned. Add a splash of wine and loosen any bits that can be glued to the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook until thickened, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve over meat. Enjoy!

How To Cook Steak


Steak, though a grill favorite, can be cooked in various ways. They can be fried, braised, roasted, baked, etc. Selecting the proper method to cook the meat depends on its tenderness. There are methods of dry and moist heat methods. Dry heat methods are generally applicable to the tender steaks and filet mignon and tenderloin, moist heat, while the methods are more suitable for tougher cuts of meat. Water helps tenderizing meat.

The tenderness of cooked meat is influenced by how much is' done '. Depending on the time to ensure that the meat is cooked, it may be raw, very rare, rare, medium rare, medium, medium well done, well done. Rare steaks are exposed to flame for a very short time. That still maintain their rawness and are very pink. Is rarely keep their original flavors fillets sturdy, but not very healthy because it still contain microorganisms. As increases the cooking time, pinkness of the meat becomes brownness and also reduces its juiciness. Well done steaks are brown throughout and also difficult to chew. For the palate, medium rare steaks are the best bets.

The best way to cook meat is grilled. Everything matters while grilling a steak - the tenderness of the meat, the marinade, the quality of the coal and lighter fluid and the concentration of the person cooking. Most steaks require about 8-10 minutes on the barbecue. The time depends on the degree of doneness required.

Cuts in supply can also be grilled. Roast in the oven is used without liquid. Gives a different flavor of grilled in an oven and heat around the meat on all sides. Less tender cuts can also be provided when grilled marinated earlier.

Thin slices of tender steak, like tenderloin, T-bone rib-eye and taste great when fried. Fillets are fried in a pan placed over a flame. Not added oil. The fillets cook in its own fat.

If the cut of meat is higher, then it is ideal for roasting. Roasting is a dry heat cooking method that uses no liquid and no cover. Cuts roast better offer and will be sliced before serving.

Tough cuts of meat such as plate, round, briskets and blade are usually braised. Braising is a moist heat cooking method done with a small amount of fluid in a closed oven with a lid. It is a slow process because it allows little by little to tenderize the meat.

Another method is difficult stewing cuts. The beef is completely covered with water and cooked slowly over half flame. Stewing is a very popular method for steaks, but if the reduction is large enough and strong, then it is best to put in the pot.

In all methods of cooking meat, the degree of doneness is measured with a meat thermometer. However, in practice, you can also judge the doneness just touching the outer flesh.