Compared to other food items, steak doesn’t seem that complicated on the surface. But that same simplicity is the reason most home cooks struggle to cook steak at home. Preparing restaurant-quality steak at home requires a different approach, unlike other dishes. The goal is to always let the flavor of the meat stand out and be the star of every bite.
But cooking steak is one of the many things that requires knowledge and technique. It’s so easy to mess up an excellent quality of meat in the kitchen, especially if you don’t know how different parts of beef should be cooked.
However, anyone can learn, therefore, anyone can cook. Once you gain essential tips and techniques in preparing high-quality cuts of meat at home, you don’t have to worry about wasting time and money again!
If you miss going out for a great steak dinner during this time, you don’t have to be the best cook to have the possibility to indulge in it at your own dining table! World renowned professionals at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse will help you enjoy premium beef cuts at home.
Here are tips on how to grill the perfect steak at home.
Choose the Right Cut
Before anything else, you must know which part of the beef you want. Familiarize yourself with all the various cuts until you have a preference. This is a significant step if you want your first steak dinner preparation to be pleasant.
If you’ll buy boneless cuts, remember that those cook faster. The poke test is the most common and easiest way to determine the doneness in this type of steak.
In order to do the poke or finger test, your non-dominant hand will serve as the comparison to the doneness of the meat. Touch the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. Poke your finger near the base of your thumb, this is what rare meat feels like. For medium rare, touch the tip of your middle finger to the tip of the hand of the same hand. The area near the base of your thumb should feel like a medium rare steak. Just remember, the more firm the meat, the more cooked it is. So watch your steak carefully, you don’t want tough, overcooked meat.
The meat next to the bone cooks more slowly, so use a thermometer while cooking these steaks. Bone-in steaks are slightly juicier since the bone protects the meat and helps the steak maintain moisture. When cooking bone-in cuts, be more patient and have your heat in a controlled temperature. As you keep reading, you’ll learn the best cuts of steak to be grilled or slow braised.
Preheat the Pan.
This step is necessary in most dishes we cook, but most especially for steak. The perfect sear on the surface of the meat is always appreciated by diners at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, and you want that too at home!
Never forget that while you prepare your meat, make sure that you are letting your cast-iron or stainless pan to heat on the stove. This will enhance the flavor of the seasoning you rub on the surface of the meat.
Season It Well.
This can’t be emphasized enough, season your meat if you want it to take your faster to flavor town. Don’t be confused, I know that great quality meat doesn’t require much work, but a bit of spice won’t do it any harm. Don’t be afraid to be generous in that salt, pepper, or your favorite dry rub seasoning. Just remember to use those only as flavor enhancers, but don’t let it steal the show from the actual meat.
Baste and Rest Your Steak.
If you’ve been watching enough cooking shows, you know how much culinary TV icons lecture their viewers about how important it is to let your steak rest before you slice into it. And they do it for a significant reason.
Allowing the steak to rest helps the juices to redistribute. Once it’s cooking, the juices all run straight to the middle of the beef, giving it the ideal medium-rare texture. When you remove it from the heat and set it aside, the meat has a chance to relax and redistribute the juices. You don’t want to cut into a steak that isn’t rested and waste all that juice.
So when you take it off the fire, remember to let it rest for at least five minutes.
Steak Cuts for Grilling
Now that you have some of the most important tips in cooking the best piece of steak, you should know the best types of meat to be cooked on a grill to help you in choosing the right cut.
Most high grade cuts of steak are cooked on the grill. This includes ribeye, filet mignon, porterhouse, and T-Bone steak. Cuts from the flank or skirt steaks are also great for the grill. Keep in mind these steaks have more muscle fibers, so it’s best to put them on a marinade for 8 to 24 hours to tenderize before hitting the grill.
Just note that when you choose to cook meat on the grill, it should always be the meat that you want to be juicy, tender, and even medium rare, so pick a piece with great marbling or fat specs. This is because the grill cooks the outer layers of the meat faster while keeping the center nice and rare, so use this to your advantage.
Get Your Premium Meat Delivered At Home
Now that you know the proper way of cooking steak at home, you should know where to get premium cuts of meat as well. Wolfgang’s Steakhouse offers Wolfgang’s At Home menu to help you enjoy quality beef while staying safe and socially distanced at home! Get your steak delivered now!
