It has probably crossed your mind a few times – how exactly do the pros cook a perfect steak every time? On top of that, how do they make it look so easy? We are going to answer those questions for you and hopefully shed some light on how to cook the perfect steaks like the famous chefs do. But before we get started, you really need to think of your cuts of meat. It’s probably not guaranteed that you will make a chef-ready steak on cheap cuts of meat. Upgrade your eating experience now with Steak University – a luxury steak company that prides themselves on boosting your steak-eating experience. Now, let’s take a glance at how top chefs around the world pick, prepare, and cook their steaks – these are the meatiest questions that we all want answers to!
Table of Contents
Cook a perfect steak: What is the Best Cut of Steak?
You are probably familiar with the most popular cuts of steak – sirloin, ribeye, rump, etc. These cuts of steak are amazing to work with and have excellent fat distribution, as well as they are often more tender because they come from less-strained muscles. Filet mignon may or may not be a weekly staple – they do get pretty pricey – but this is also one of the best cuts of meat. Most chefs opt for a ribeye as being one of the best cuts of meat. A ribeye has everything – from the way it holds together to the fat marbling, and when thickly-butchered, it simply makes for an excellent steak. However, sometimes it’s great to stray away from the classics and opt for cuts like flank and skirt steaks, which are absolutely perfect and tender for a regular Sunday barbeque.
How to Source Your Beef
There’s a reason why steak at restaurants always taste so much better than the kind you’d get at any regular grocery store. Five-star steakhouses outsource for their products and they are friends with butchers that provide them with the best cuts of meat, or, they order their meat from places that ship nationally such as Steak University. You can do this too. Your best bet is to visit your local butcher (always check reviews first) or order from a place like Steak University that can ship luxury steaks right to your doorstep. Always check your butchery and see if there are any grass-fed sirloins with a deep red color and a lot of marbling – this is the winning ticket when it comes to a chef’s steak pick. These are the characteristics of prime beef.
How to Prepare Your Cut
Another golden question for any chef’s steak. How can it be correctly prepared before throwing in on the pan or on the grill? You’ll want to start by having meat that is as fresh as possible. As soon as you take your meat home, brush it with some olive oil and sprinkle on Steak University’s Secret Gourmet Steak Seasoning. For the ultimate chef’s steak preparation, if you don’t have this steak seasoning, marinade your steak with a pink of sea salt, coarse ground black pepper, and minced garlic – this combo gives your chef’s steak the ultimate caramelization and nice thick crust that we all love so much. Then, let it rest. The longer your steak sits at room temperature, the faster it will cook.
Preheat Your Pan!
This is one of the biggest (yet often forgot about) tips if you want that perfect chef’s steak. It doesn’t matter if you are grilling or pan-frying your steak – this is absolutely crucial. While grilling gives your steak a deep, dark char, the same can be mimicked on a well-seasoned cast iron pan. Either way, the pan needs to get very, very hot before applying your steak on to it. Add a little olive oil or butter to your pan while it heats up, turn on the fan, and drop your steaks on to the super hot pan. This will create an instant sear that locks in all of the juices and flavor.
The Chef’s Way of Cooking A Steak
First and foremost – don’t be so hands-on when you want to cook a perfect steak. Just let it go. Once your steak is on your pan, let it sear and simmer down. It is very tempting to constantly check it and/or flip it – but don’t. This is how a nice dark char is formed, and this is the correct pathway to your chef’s steak. It’s time to take a peak when you notice the butter or olive oil starting to burn, and the bottom edges of your steak appear more dark. If this isn’t happening, adjust your pan heat and wait a little longer. Once it appears dark enough – do the flip.
Cooking times vary depending on how well you want your steak done and what temperature you want it done to. For the perfect chef’s medium rare, let the dark char form on one side, flip it, and wait for it to get some color on the other side (but not fully charred). Then, pull it from your stove and pop it into your oven for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F. Your steak shouldn’t be on the pan for much longer than 4-7 minutes, depending on how well done you want your chef’s steak.
The pros usually check their steak by touching it and seeing how well it bounces back, but for all of us at home, it’s a safer bet to use an internal thermometer to check how done your steak is. The perfect medium rare steak should be around 135 degrees F.
Final Touches To Cook a Perfect Steak
The best thing you can do for your cut of meat when it’s finished cooking is to let it rest for at least five minutes, according to the pros. One of the best ways to baste your steak is by dropping cold butter on top of your still hot meat, crush up some garlic to add on top, and even add some fresh rosemary or thyme if you’d like. That “butter love” is really where it’s at when it comes to basting your steak – it adds just a hint of salty flavor with an overall smooth texture. Let your freshly-basted chef’s steak rest for at least five minutes – this allows the juices within the steak to redistribute. Seriously – if you don’t let it rest, all of that time you spent picking out the perfect cut, marinading, cooking to perfection, and basting will all go to waste.
Cook a perfect steak: Final Thoughts
It’s time to serve your perfect chef’s steak! Seriously, listed to the pros when it comes to this one. This is especially true if you’ve spent a good chunk of money on your perfect cut. Additionally, you’ll feel better about the entire situation if you know how the chef’s do it – this is all meant to better prepare you for kitchen steak-cooking.