Cooking the Perfect Steak the Way You Like It, Every Time, for the Home Cook

Go out to eat and chances are that all but the least competent chef, cook or grill person will prepare your steak in the way you have asked; rare, medium, well done etc. It can be frustrating, then, when your home-cooked version doesn't quite turn out the way you expect. Follow this simple guide, and you, too, will be able to cook your perfect steak, your way, every time.

Of course, you will use good steak. A cheap, stringy cut more suitable for stewing or for ground beef will never produce a good, tasty, tender steak, however skilled the cook. Good cooking starts at the market. Good steak is a luxury, so be prepared to have a really good one once in a while, rather than trying to have a mediocre one more often. Use rump, fillet, porterhouse, T-bone or any other cut that you like, and make sure it has been hung for as long as possible - at least 21 days, preferably more. Don't chose a piece that is too lean - the fat adds flavour, lubrication and juiciness. A fat-free steak is a contradiction in terms.

Cook Steak

There is no one cooking method to produce the perfect steak: pan-frying, pan-frying and oven-finishing, griddle-pan-frying (oil the steak, not the pan), grilling/broiling and barbequing are all potentially excellent techniques. Use which ever suits you and is most convenient.

Season the steak well on both sides with good salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat your pan or grill until very hot, add a minimum of oil, then put your steak on - it should sizzle. After a minute or two, turn it over - there should be lovely patches of golden brown colouring, and the aroma will already be fabulous. Whatever you have heard, you are not "sealing" the steak, but you are creating the so-called "browning flavours" which are so important to the finished steak. If you like your steak blue or very rare, it will probably be ready now, after a minute or two on each side. Otherwise, turn the heat down by at least half, and continue to cook, testing your steak as follows.

The simple way to get the steak cooked the way you like it is to prod it with your finger: yes, I know it's hot, so be careful. Here's the method. Using your first (index) finger, press down on the ball of flesh at the base of your thumb on the same hand. That is what a rare steak feels like when you prod it. Now do the same with your second (middle) finger - that feels like a medium steak. Finally, your third (ring) finger will give you well-done. Clever, huh? Obviously, you have to use a bit of judgement if your steak is particularly thick or thin, but you will be surprised at how accurate this method is.

If you like rarer finishes, but still enjoy having the fat crispy, you will have to hold the steak in tongs with the fat edge on to the pan for a few minutes, then continue to cook the steak as above. Protect your hand and arm from heat and spitting fat by wearing oven gloves.

Finally, once the steak is cooked to your liking, let it rest in a warm place for at least five minutes - it won't go cold in this time, but it will relax and allow the juices to flow back through the meat, giving a wonderfully tender and flavoursome finish.

Cooking the Perfect Steak the Way You Like It, Every Time, for the Home Cook

Brent Nelson writes The Guerilla Griller, one of Europe's top 500 food blogs. On a mission to demystify food and cooking, with clear step-by-step recipes, and here for the newbie and experienced cook alike. Find The Guerilla Griller at: http://guerillagriller.blogspot.com/

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