Now it’s BBQ season, here’s some tips on how to cook the perfect steak.
Whether you like your steak rare, medium or well done cooking the perfect steak is easy if you follow Capelli Foods top tips. Now that Summer is here, you can impress your friends at your next barbecue with a mouth watering steak. If the thought of cooking your own steak is too much, talk to Capelli Foods about having catering at your next bbq, take a look at our mouth-watering gourmet barbecue menu.
Selection of the right cut of steak is important. The best cuts suited to the high heat of direct grilling are well marinated skirt steak, porterhouse, rump or fillet steak. I always return steaks to room temperature before grilling. Season (salt and pepper) your steak once on the BBQ (otherwise it will draw moisture from your steak). Use coarsely ground rock salt which protects the steak from sticking and creates a lovely crust.
Allow your steak to seal 2-3 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees so you end up with criss cross grill marks for presentation.
TURN STEAKS A MAXIMUM OF 3 TIMES
Moisture from the steak will push up away from the heat. The trick is to create a balance between the two sides of meat. Heat seals the meat reducing the moistures chance of escape. If the steak stays on one side too long, all the moisture will push out the other side and you will have a dry steak.
Pressing the steak is the best way to check how cooked the steak is – never cut the steak.
I use the finger to thumb method to determine how well the steak is done. When you press different fingers agains the fleshy pad at the base of your thumb it feels slightly different. This corresponds with how your steak feels when pressed depending on how well it is cooked.
A rough guide
Index finger to base of thumb (rare to medium rare)
Middle finger to base of thumb (med-rare to medium)
Ring finger to base of thumb (medium to med-well)
Pinkie to base of thumb (med-well to well done)
The last step is most important…
Rest the meat for half the time you took to cook it!