TE MANIA ANGUS

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT STEAK

Choosing the right cut

• There are different cuts for different purposes. In order of quality, select
• For tenderness - Eye fillet, Scotch fillet, Porterhouse, T-bone, Rump
• For flavour - Rump or porterhouse
• Te Mania's favourite cut for barbequed steak - Scotch Fillet (also known as Cubed Roll)
• Look for meat with fine texture (grain), which is not too dark in colour. Also look for fine marbling, which will add to flavour and tenderness.
• Cuts such as Porterhouse, have a membrane between the fat and meat. This membrane should be fine and opaque in colour, not silver. Silver membranes indicate toughness.
• Always buy, or carve steak of even thickness, ideally about 20mm.
• For better presentation, some prefer to trim Scotch Fillet prior to cooking, around the defined core area, and use the tail for another purpose.
• Allow 300g per serve (Scotch Fillet, untrimmed) to 200g per serve (Porterhouse)

Cooking

Pre-heat the barbeque or heavy based frying pan to hot.  Oil the grill or the steak, lightly.

Rare: Cook for a few minutes on one side, until a "sheen" of juice appears over the steak.  Then turn once, only.  Don't "jiggle" it!  Cook until the steak feels "very soft" to push.  Internal temperature for rare steak is approx 35^o C.

Medium Rare: Turn when the steak is beginning to sweat a clear juice.

Medium:  Cook on one side until red juice appears on the surface.  Turn once only and cook until moisture is visible again.  Steak should feel "springy".  Internal temperature approx 44^oC.

Well Done: Cook as for medium, then reduce heat and continue to cook until steak feels "firm".  - Not an option for a true beef lover!

After cooking, rest meat in a warm place, or covered on the bench and stand for 3-5 minutes to allow the juices to distribute throughout the steak.  Be careful it does not continue to cook, or to stew in its juices.

Other tips

• "Sealing" a steak prior to cooking creates a crust. This is suitable for oven roasting, but not for individual steaks, as it prevents an even distribution of the heat, and creates a "tough" surface.
• Try not to cut into the steak to test cooking, as this allows juices to escape, which reduces tenderness.
• Freezing steak significantly reduces the quality of the meat.