There can be nothing as widely different as the opinions that people have about how they like their steak cooked. Some will only touch a steak unless it is so rare that it almost walks onto the plate. Others will only go for medium-rare while still others prefer steaks which are well done.
But how does the chef get this right, every time, according to what people want?
In this article, we will share a number of the chef’s insider secrets.
Cooking Steak Like Jamie Oliver
As one of the first well-known celebrity chefs, Jamie Oliver has got a lot of culinary know-how under his belt. From Italian cuisine to much-loved British cuisine, this British chef seems to know it all!
He gives a number of pointers about how he cooks the perfect steak.
Do not cook a steak straight from the fridge. Take it out, an hour before you want to cook it so that it comes to room temperature. The reason why you want the steak to warm up a bit is that if it is cold, the heat will not penetrate the middle effectively. So, you might end up with a burnt outside while the middle is raw.
Before you put the meat in the pan or the oven, make sure that it is incredibly hot. This is so that the outside of the meat can caramelise.
Jamie says that you should aim to cook your steaks between medium rare and medium. Steaks which are well-done risk being dry and tough. Make sure that you turn your cut of meat every minute or so as this will give you an even cook.
After you have finished cooking the steak, rub it with some butter or extra virgin olive oil and leave it to rest. This will ensure that your steak turns out to be incredibly juicy.
Gordon Ramsay’s Tips For Cooking Steak
Another celebrity chef, who’s made the jump into television shows (and not just cooking shows), is Gordon Ramsay. While his questionable choice of language brought him under the spotlight, his raw talent keeps his star soaring.
Like Jamie, Gordon advises that you get the pan to be nice and hot before you start cooking. He says that if the pan is not sizzling, there will not be any colour on the meat. Gordon also says that the meat needs to be at room temperature before you cook it as it will cook faster. His term is that the meat must be ‘relaxed’.
Gordon cautions that if you decide to cook your steaks in a pan, this will produce a lot of smoke so make sure that you have your extractor fan on – or have the windows open – before you start cooking.
You do not have to be a Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay to be able to cook the perfect steak. All you need is a bit of advice from pals like Jamie and Gordon, a great cut of meat, extra virgin olive oil, solid cookware and away you will go!
