Frying a steak: how to do it right

The golden rule for cooking steak? All you really need is a very good steak and a very hot surface. These are the basic requirements for perfect steak enjoyment. Sear the meat until a brown crust forms, leave it to cook in the oven at a low temperature and then leave it to rest for a few minutes at room temperature.

Equipment

• Meat thermometer: If you use one, you can serve your guests the perfect level of doneness: whether they want English, medium or well-done.
• Pan: Aluminum pans, cast iron pans or grill pans – A pan with a thick base is required. The thick base retains heat so that the meat cannot cool down too much when placed in the pan.
• Meat tongs or spatula

Preparation

• Before you start, take the steak out of the fridge. Leave it outside for half an hour, preferably a whole hour. The meat should be at room temperature when it goes into the pan.
• Dab the steak with kitchen paper. It should be dry.
• Preheat the oven to 100° C if you want to cook your steak in the oven.

The ideal fat for frying steak

Clarified butter, peanut oil, explicit frying oil or refined olive oil. Butter or extra virgin olive oil are not suitable for searing steaks as their smoke point is too low. They would burn in the heated pan and then taste bitter…

As a general rule, less fat is more. Brush the meat all over with the fat of your choice rather than putting it directly into the pan.

Fry the steak in the pan

Then place a large pan (without oil!) on the stove and let it get really hot over a high heat.

To check whether the pan is ready, squirt a drop or two of water into the pan. If these bounce around, the correct temperature has been reached. Wipe the pan dry again with kitchen paper.

Then sear the basted meat over a high heat. The steak should sear for one minute on each side.

Set a timer and leave the steak in the pan while frying. Do not move it back and forth in the pan! You can press on it from above with the spatula to ensure that it makes contact with the bottom of the pan everywhere.

After a minute, turn the meat over and fry the other side.

Now the meat shows brown roasting marks and has a crispy crust. There are two options at this point. Either you finish cooking the meat in the pan or you cook it in the oven to the desired point.

Frying a steak – how long it needs to be in the pan

Steak rare

• 2 cm thick: 2 minutes per side
• 2.5 cm thick: 2.5 minutes per side
• 3 cm thick: 3.5 minutes per side

Steak medium

• 2 cm thick: 3 minutes per side
• 2.5 cm thick: 3.5 minutes per side
• 3 cm thick: 4.5 minutes per side

Steak well done

• 2 cm thick: 4 minutes per side
• 2.5 cm thick: 4.5 minutes per side
• 3 cm thick: 5.5 minutes per side

This is how long the steak needs to be in the oven

After searing, insert the meat thermometer right in the middle of the steak, place it on a plate or tray and then place it in the oven at 100° C. Allow to cook until the desired core temperature (see below) is reached.

Core temperature and cooking levels

• Bleu – The core temperature is 36° C: The steak is only seared gray on the outside without crispy roasting marks. Inside it is almost completely raw.
• Medium rare – The core temperature is 55° C: the steak has a brown crust, the inside is pink, but the core is still raw.
• Medium – The core temperature is 56-61° C: the steak has a crispy brown crust. Inside, two thirds are pink and one third is cooked through.
• Medium well – The core temperature is 61-68° C: The steak is crispy on the outside, cooked through on the inside, only the center is still light pink.
• Well done – the core temperature is over 68°C: The steak is crispy on the outside and completely cooked through to a gray-brown inside.

After roasting: rest and season

When the desired level of doneness is reached, remove the steak from the heat. It is important that the meat is allowed to relax for 2-3 minutes. The heat has concentrated the juices inside the meat. If the meat is now allowed to relax, it will spread everywhere and ensure an evenly juicy steak that is not too firm. The best way to do this is to wrap your steak in aluminum foil.

There are different opinions when it comes to seasoning the meat. Some people season the steak with salt and pepper before frying. But then the salt dries out the meat and the pepper often burns when frying.

It is better to season the steak when it is served. A great salt, such as Fiori di Sale, freshly ground pepper and a strong, extra virgin olive oil will enhance the taste of the meat in the most delicious way.

Beginner mistakes when frying steak

• The pan is not hot enough.
• The wrong grease is being used.
• The steak was seasoned before frying.
• To turn the steak, pierce it with a fork so that the meat juices run out.
• The steak is not allowed to rest after cooking.