Steak
Cooking a good steak requires a few skills besides tossing it on the grill and waiting until it resembles the sole of an abandoned sneaker.
- Bacteria and Parasites: Common-sense dictates that you do not allow raw meat to touch dirty hands, utensils or benchtops. There is always a chance that your meat is contaminated at the butchers, but it's miniscule (This doesn't apply to chicken, 95% of supermarket chicken tests positive to salmonella, cooking it well will kill it). Parasites do not penetrate un-cut red meat, so if you cook your meat at least 1/16th of an inch on each side, it will be safe.
- Make sure your pan is greased with a light oil, sunflower or canola, and make sure it is hot enough that the oil smokes a little. Lay your steak in the pan, and it should sizzle immediately. If not, moar heat!
- Seal the first side for 2-3 minutes, and seal the other side for half that time.
- Put your thumbtip and index tip together, then press on your lower thumb muscle. That's what a rare steak should feel like. Middle finger and thumb, thats medium, and ring finger and thumb is well done. Chef's use a thermometer, but you don't need to. If you aren't sure, make a small cut in the steak and look at it.
- There are five main types of steak: Blue-rare, Rare, Med-rare, Medium, and Med-Well done. If you cook your steak any longer than that, you're a dunce. Blue-rare: the first 1/16th of each side is cooked, the middle is basically raw and warm. Rare: the first 1/8th of each side is cooked, leaving a good red strip in the middle. This is best. Med-rare: the first 1/4 of each side is cooked, and has a defined pink stripe in the middle. Medium : the steak has a distinct pinkness in the middle. Med-Well done: the steak has a hint of pink to it.
- AFTER you have sealed your steak, add seasonings, such as salt, pepper, steak seasoning, ect.
- When you have finished, let the steak rest for up to 5 minutes, to allow the muscle fibres to relax and become more tender.