Nothing is more disappointing than a home cooked steak that doesn’t taste good. What went wrong, you ask? You may either be a newbie in steak cooking or you just missed out on something. Either way, you should identify what the common steak mistakes are. After all, from fridge to plate, a lot of things can go wrong. And once you do identify these errors and prevent them from happening, keep on cooking and practicing. Eventually, the next piece of meat you’ll cook will be surely second to nothing! Here are some of the steak mistakes that ruin a good piece meat:
Freezing
If you buy a steak, ideally you should plan to cook it that day or the next. However, if you don’t use it right away, we suggest storing it in the coldest part of your refrigerator and making sure that it’s sealed tight. If you plan on freezing your steak, just make sure to wrap it tight so virtually no air gets in. When you finally decide to eat it, slowly defrost the meat in your refrigerator over one to two days.
Tempering
Thawing is a controversial practice. Some do it while others feel like it’s the wrong way of cooking steak. However, a lot more will agree that putting a cold steak on the grill will result in a piece of meat that’s overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside. And nobody likes that. We recommend taking your steak out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes to an hour before you plan to cook it. Refrigerator thawing, however, generally considered the easiest and safest method, requires 24 hours for every five pounds of food. Remove it from its package, pat it dry, let it air out, and let it come up to room temperature.
Seasoning
A beautiful piece of meat really doesn’t need much additives on it. However, be sure that it’s seasoned with enough salt which is crucial for a delicious salt crust. Most people apply less salt though because fear of health risks. A general rule is ¾ to one teaspoon of salt per pound, applying on both sides and this is generally safe. Of course, if you’re watching your on a strict low salt diet, then you should put less.
Pre-Heating
Whether you’re using a grill or a pan, you will need to set it in the right temperature before putting your steak on. Without those high temperatures you’ll never be able to achieve a decent sear. So turn up your grill and cover it until it hits 500-600 F or, for a cast-iron pan, let it get literally smoking hot.
Not Using A Thermometer
Invest in a good meat thermometer and use it. If you don’t, you will never know when the meat is exactly cooked unless, by experience, you know when a steak is done just by touching it. Otherwise, don’t guess. For a Filet Mignon, for example, the internal temperature should be 125 degrees while baking it in an oven of 500 degrees.
Pass This On
Use these pieces of advice and pass it on to a fellow who loves cooking steaks too! If you follow these tips religiously, hopefully you’ll be able to prepare a steak comparable to those in steak houses. Tell us what you think!
Leave a Reply