What meat is best to make a steak from? How to cook a delicious steak: fry quickly

In order to know how to choose meat for beef steak, you need to understand what it is. Steak is whole piece a certain thickness.

The main rule of a real steak: don’t skimp on food!

You can use any cut for steak. beef carcass, but it is preferable that it does not participate in the animal’s motor activity. It can be tenderloin with untrimmed edges or marbled meat. A steak from another part of the carcass will be tougher and more rubbery.

The marbling of beef meat is given by veins of fat, thanks to which the cut produces a pattern that looks like marble. When you fry a steak, this fat melts and moistens the steak, making it unusually tender. This is achieved through special balanced feeding of the animal.

The fat on the edges of the tenderloin pieces will also add juiciness to the steak, but not throughout the entire thickness of the piece.
You can also use the rib or loin portion of a beef carcass.

How to properly cut steaks yourself

Be sure to cut across the grain;
The best thickness for steak is 2.5 to 4 cm.

Only this type of cutting and thickness will retain the meat juice in the cooked steak and make the dish tender and juicy.

You can also purchase pre-cut pieces of steak in vacuum packaging at the store.
But, following the rule “don’t skimp on steak meat,” go to the market or to familiar and trusted butchers to get it. The quality of meat at the market is much higher than in stores.

Best Chefs to Cook perfect steak They use meat from young bulls (from 1 to 1.5 years old) of certain breeds. The most suitable breeds are Hereford and Angus. They are distinguished by tender marbled meat.

How to choose good meat for beef steak in the market

The first rule is quality! There should be no offensive odor and no signs of mucus on the surface, blood stains or stains.

The consistency is elastic. When you press with your finger, a small hole should remain, which immediately straightens. The color of the fat is from white to yellow, and its consistency is solid. If the fat is colored red, it means that the meat has been frozen and thawed several times, that is, some of the meat juice has already been lost. On the surface of the piece there should be a dry crust of pale red or pink color.

The second rule is to choose meat of the highest and selected category! We must admit that steak is an expensive dish and the raw materials for its preparation are not cheap!

The third rule is that the meat should not be fresh or fresh. This is very hard and quickly loses some of its mass due to moisture evaporation. This occurs due to physical and chemical processes occurring in the structure of muscle mass. After some time has passed after the animal is slaughtered, enzymes begin to soften the connective tissue and the piece of meat becomes softer and more suitable for use.

But if you have already purchased fresh meat, just let it “ripen”. To do this you need to cut it into portioned pieces for steak, wrap in cling film and keep for several days in the refrigerator or other cool place at a temperature no higher than 4-5°C.
Remember! The longer the meat “ripens”, the softer and juicier it is!

How to choose the right frozen beef for cooking steak?

When choosing meat at the market or in a store, pay attention to its color; if possible, place your finger on the piece and let go. The place where you press will be dark red, and the color around it will be red-gray. When fresh frozen meat is tapped with a hard object, it produces a clear sound.

You should also remember that you need to defrost steaks without sudden temperature changes. Meat juice remains in the meat only when defrosted in the air or in the refrigerator.
Never defrost steaks in warm water or at high air temperatures! This will lead to a large loss of moisture and even a marbled steak will turn out tough.

Basic rules for cooking beef steak

correctly selected raw materials;
real steak is not fried in a frying pan, but on an open fire (for example, a wood stove or charcoal stove), where there is a special temperature regime and the heat, which envelops the product, allows you to achieve the ideal roasting result.

How to choose meat for steak - video

Fragrant, juicy, tasty, with a tender crispy crust, beef steak has captivated millions of people around the world. Veal is the most suitable meat for such a dish, since it is not as fatty as pork and not as “rubbery” as lamb.

Perfectly cooked meat is not easy to prepare. First you need to understand what level of cooking you need, then decide on the marinade, sauce and side dish.

What degrees of doneness are there for beef steak?

Everyone determines the degree of doneness of the steak according to their own taste.

There are several of them:

Raw. Weak degree of roasting. This meat has a weak crust on the sides, but the inside is almost raw. To achieve this level, the steak will only need two minutes of simmering in a frying pan.
Medium Rare. The meat is slightly more cooked, with pinkish juice released when pierced. The pieces come out tender and full of juice.
Medium. Golden mean. There is no longer any blood in the beef, it is evenly tenderly cooked inside and with golden crust outside.
Medium Well. In such a steak, the juice is no longer pink, but transparent, and the meat is a little dry.
Well Done. Fully fried inside and out, the meat is brown in color and has almost no juice.

Ideal sauces for meat

Eating meat without sauce is boring, so we offer wine sauce for the perfect steak.

You will need:

vinegar – 4 ml;
beef broth – 250 ml;
brown sugar – 16 g;
red wine – 120 ml;
salt and black pepper to taste.

Prepare the dressing for the dish:

Pour into a bowl meat broth and cook until it reduces in volume by half.
Pour in sugar, add vinegar and wine and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
All that remains is to add salt and pepper to the sauce and you can serve it with a tender steak.

In addition to this option, you can serve your favorite steak with a bowl of tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, soy-honey or even plum sauce. Some prefer the taste of pure meat and use only two or three types of herbs and salt in its preparation.

Side dish for beef steak

In addition to the sauce, you can serve the veal with green lettuce leaves and boiled potatoes. Grilled vegetables go very well with fried meat: tomatoes, eggplants, Bell pepper and onions. Baked beans, corn, cooked rice and asparagus in sauce complement the taste of steak well.

Steak marinade: recipes

Unique spicy taste and aroma beef steak gives a marinade. It provides the meat with the necessary juiciness and softness on the inside and gives an amazing golden brown color to the crust on the outside.

Required Products:

lemon juice– 15 ml;
salt and mustard – 5 g each;
sunflower oil – 40 ml;
a little black pepper;
one onion;
two garlic cloves.

Algorithm of actions:

Combine lemon juice, pepper, oil and salt in a cup.
Using a grater, turn the onion into a pulp and transfer it to a common bowl.
Press the garlic cloves and send them after the onion.
Mix everything and pour this marinade over the beef.

Pan recipe

To implement this plan you will need:

two pinches of black pepper;
olive oil - a couple of spoons;
one serving of meat steak;
two pinches of salt.

Let's look at how to cook beef steak in a frying pan below:

We took a piece of meat with a thin layer of fat, without bones. Its thickness should not exceed 3 cm, since shmat that is too thick will not be completely fried in a frying pan.
Take the veal out of the refrigerator in advance and warm it to room temperature.
Heat a frying pan with big amount olive oil.
At this time we carefully process meat preparation a mixture of salt and pepper.
We begin to fry it for 2 minutes in the hottest oil.
The further cooking method depends on the preferred degree of doneness. On average, beef is fried for a couple of minutes in boiling oil on both sides and the sides are fried for 5 minutes after reducing the heat.
When the food is ready, let it sit for about a quarter of an hour.
After this time, it’s time to serve juicy, flavorful pieces of meat with fresh herbs or vegetables. Bon appetit!

Cooking from marbled beef

List of products per kilo of meat:

salt and basil - to the hostess’s taste;
a couple of tablespoons of olive oil;
pepper mix.

Algorithm of actions:

We blot the meat with a disposable towel and leave it to warm up to kitchen temperature.
Season the pieces with seasonings and salt and oil them.
Heat the frying pan very hot on the stove and load the beef into it, pressing down a little with a spatula.
Cook the meat on one side for a couple of minutes, and then carefully turn it over to the other. We repeat the manipulations 4 – 5 more times.
All that remains is to transfer the tender marbled beef steak with a golden brown crust to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. After this, you can start eating.

Cooking in the oven

Ingredients:

any dry spices to your taste;
veal – 300 g;
vegetable oil – 40 ml;
salt to taste.

How to cook beef steak in the oven:

Lightly beat the thawed piece of meat with a wooden mallet, rub salt and spices into it.
Let the product marinate for 60 minutes.
At the end of the process, turn on the oven and preheat it to a temperature of 220 degrees.
At the same time, heat the frying pan, add oil to it and fry the workpiece for 2 minutes on each side.
Remnants vegetable oil process the baking dish, put in it delicious meat with a “grabbed” crust.
Bake the beef steak in the oven for 10 minutes. We decorate it with greens and serve it to the table.

How to Grill with Tomato Salsa?

Required ingredients:

cherry tomatoes – 100 g;
salt to taste;
sweet pepper – 1 pc.;
cumin and sugar - 15 g each;
olive oil – 35 ml;
beef – 0.7 kg;
onion head;
ground pepper taste;
kilo of potatoes;
ground hot peppers– 1 tsp;
one lime;
three garlic cloves.

Cooking steak on the grill:

Two cloves of garlic should be peeled and pressed. Combine them in a bowl with salt and grind.
Add hot ground pepper, cumin, another 15 grams of salt and sugar. Rub this aromatic mixture raw veal from all sides.
Place the meat pieces in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
Onions, tomatoes and bell pepper peel and cut into cubes.
Combine the vegetables in another bowl, add 20 grams of salt, crushed clove of garlic and ground black pepper. Pour in oil and 50 ml of water. Mix everything and close it in the refrigerator.
When the meat and salsa are completely cooked, heat up the grill. Place the veal on the grill and cook it on each side for 4 minutes.
Then close the lid and cook for another 6 minutes.
Give it well done delicious meat stand for a while, cut into portions and pour in spicy salsa. Bon appetit!

Cooking beef steak "Miratorg"

You will need:

mushrooms – 100 g;
Miratorg steak – 2 pcs.;
garlic – 4 cloves;
sea salt to taste;
olive oil – 70 ml;
ground black pepper to taste;
half a glass of dry red wine.

Algorithm of actions:

Squeeze the garlic in the garlic press.
Rub raw steak pieces sea salt, half the total amount of garlic and black pepper. Cover the product in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add garlic and fry it until golden.
Pour in the chopped pieces of mushrooms, pour in the wine, add salt and cook the ingredients for 10 minutes.
Heat up the grill, put our marinated steaks there and cook on both sides for 6 minutes.
All that remains is to give juicy meat let sit for 10 minutes, then divide it into plates and add mushrooms in wine. The taste is amazing!

Fast and tasty on the electric grill

What to take:

mustard – 2 g;
beef fillet – 1 kg;
olive oil – 20 ml;
red wine – 0.1 l;
bacon – 0.2 kg;
salt – 15 g;
champignons – 0.3 kg;
cream – 50 g;
ground pepper – 5 g.

Cooking beef steak on an electric grill:

Chop the mushrooms into medium pieces.
We wrap the veal fillet in bacon and secure it with thread.
Treat the resulting steaks with olive oil, salt, mustard and pepper.
Turn on the electric grill, heat it up and fry the meatballs for 7 minutes on each side.
Wrap the hot steaks in foil and leave them like that for 10 minutes.
During this time, cook the mushroom pieces in a frying pan until all the mushroom liquid has evaporated.
Pour wine into the pan and simmer the food for 3 minutes.
Pour in the cream and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
All that remains is to place the finished steaks on a dish and add to them mushroom sauce. Bon appetit!

New York at home

Recipe Ingredients:

vegetable oil – 55 ml;
marbled veal – 0.5 kg;
garlic cloves – 3 pcs.;
one chili pepper;
salt to taste;
a stalk of fresh rosemary;
piece of butter – 30 g.

How to cook steak:

Warm two fresh steaks to room temperature, treat them on all sides with vegetable oil.
Heat a dry frying pan, place our steaks on the bottom and cook for a minute on one side and the other.
Fry for another four minutes, turning the crackling pieces from time to time.
Crush the garlic into a pulp and add it to the meat along with the butter. Add black pepper and salt. After a minute, turn off the heat.
We lay out juicy, aromatic steaks, garnish with rosemary and chili. Bon appetit!

lemon;
T-bone steak – 2 pcs.;
salt - 10 g;
a piece of butter - 120 g;
thyme – 2 sprigs;
garlic – 2 pcs.;
black pepper – 5 g.

Algorithm of actions:

A day before you start cooking, wrap the steaks you just bought with film and put them in the refrigerator.
Remove the film and treat the juicy pieces of meat with salt. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
Let's start making the steak sauce. To do this, peel the heads of garlic and cut each clove into large pieces.
Wash the lemon and chop it into cubes without peeling.
Place 80 grams of butter in a frying pan and wait until it melts.
Then start frying the garlic for 3 minutes, then add lemon and thyme.
After 5 minutes, remove the grass sprigs and grind the rest with a blender.
We still have 40 grams of butter left. We use it to coat beef.
Place the pieces on the surface of the frying pan and fry for 3 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the steaks with a golden brown crust, transfer the preparations to a baking dish and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
Cover the finished steaks with foil and wait 15 minutes. After this you can set the table.

Marbled ribeye

Recipe ingredients needed:

a piece of butter – 25 g;
a clove of garlic;
Ribeye steak – 1 piece;
sea salt to taste;
thyme – 1 sprig;
black pepper to taste.

Cooking algorithm:

Heat the frying pan by pouring a little refined oil into it.
Toss steak at room temperature in salt and pepper mixture.
Place the veal on the surface of the frying pan and fry for one and a half minutes on each side - the meat should brown evenly.

Basic products for steak:

salt to taste;
olive oil – 55 ml;
cognac – 100 g;
black pepper to taste;
primebeef meat;

For the sauce:

chopped garlic – 15 g;
flour – 65 g;
onion head;
Marsala wine – 0.1 l;
salt to taste;
broth – 300 ml;
black pepper to taste;
mushrooms – 0.2 kg;
vegetable oil – 50 ml.

Algorithm of actions:

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, throw in the chopped onion, slices of mushrooms and garlic. Fry the vegetables until golden.
Add the sifted flour and cook for another minute.
Pour in the wine and mix the ingredients, add the meat broth and cook until the sauce becomes thick.
We cook the steaks in the standard way to the desired degree of doneness.
Add salt and pepper. Pour in the cognac and use a long match to light it right in the frying pan.
We extinguish the fire, closing the lid, and serve the resulting dish to the table.

Juicy and tender - with butter

What to take:

pepper and salt to taste;
veal – 0.8 kg;
piece of butter – 50 g.

Step-by-step instruction:

We make several steaks from beef tenderloin. Their thickness should be no more than 3 cm.
Melt a stick of butter over high heat in a frying pan.
Season the steaks on all sides with salt and pepper and fry in butter for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Serve steaks with lettuce or vegetables.

Steak is a dish for all times. It can be quickly fried for a husband who is tired at work or served with delicious sauce on the festive table. Choose a recipe, practice, and very soon the popularity of your steaks will eclipse all other culinary delights of your friends.

Despite the fact that barbecue culture came to us from the West, and specifically from England, it dates back to ancient times, from the time when people made sacrifices to the gods. Steaks as a dish were already prepared in ancient Rome, frying on grates big pieces beef. British aristocrats considered beef to be the food of the poor and preferred the meat of a young calf to it. In addition, hunting has always been developed in Britain, so venison or wild boar steak was not only a favorite dish of sophisticated meat-eaters, but was also considered a trophy for hunters. Hunting was a noble cause and, as a rule, the same aristocrats took part in it.

An important criterion when choosing a cut of beef carcass is the choice of meat that has minimally participated in physical activity. This type of meat is typically softer and more tender, making it best suited for steak. There are many aspects to choosing meat, most of which will be covered in this article.

What cut is steak made from?

Typically, steaks are made from beef. Usually they use cuts from different parts of the beef carcass; they differ in taste and aroma. The choice of a specific place for cutting depends on the method of cooking and the degree of permissible frying of the steak. Tenderloin with a large number of streaks of fat guarantees the steak a rich taste and aroma. This meat is called marbled beef. It is needed for the most popular types of steaks, and the less fatty part is perfect as dietary product. For each type of steak, different meat is used; the types will be discussed a little later.

Certainly, For steak, it is better to take marbled meat. Although suitable meat can be selected from different parts of the carcass, it is most often recommended to use tenderloin from the hip or rib. It is suitable for leaner types of steaks and requires a more careful approach to preparation. Veal tenderloin is excellent for these types of steaks. Such meat, as a rule, is distinguished by its tenderness and minimum quantity fat

Regular grades of beef are suitable for preparing steak. But experienced chefs in expensive restaurants they choose meat from breeds bred for this purpose. Their number is quite small.

The first to highlight is the famous Angus meat variety.. This type is considered a premium grade of beef and fits perfectly into the definition of the standard of marbled beef. He is originally from Scotland. The breed of cattle is also called “Aberdeen Angus”.

The second no less famous and most expensive variety Beef is considered Japanese "Wagyu". As the name suggests, this breed comes from Japan, where these cattle of the “Wagiu” breed, which literally means Japanese cow, have been bred for centuries. Currently, Vagiu cows are bred in other countries, in accordance with the original traditions. Also noteworthy is the presence of alcohol in the diet of Wagiu cows. During the raising of these cows, the most comfortable conditions are maintained, limiting the mobility of these animals, which has a great effect on the tenderness of the meat.

The third variety is the English Hereford breed. Due to their adaptability to any conditions, cows of this breed are the most common beef cattle. As a rule, cattle of this breed are less demanding in breeding and can reach a large weight - around 1200–1300 kg.

Important! You can find hybrids of several breeds.

Names and features of varieties

To choose the right steak meat, you need to decide what type of steak you want to cook. There are not many types of steaks. First, it’s worth understanding the main varieties.

The most unpretentious in preparation is Ribeye, or as it is more often called entrecote. Thanks to the streaks of white fat, it is one of the juiciest and delicious options this dish. Entrecote is difficult to spoil during the cooking process. As a rule, for its preparation, a tenderloin is selected from the rib part of a beef carcass. And also among the options for preparing this type of steak, the simplest one has been found. It doesn't require a marinade, just salt and pepper. Steak cooked this way simple recipe, served with sauce, of which there are quite a few variations a large number of.

The next contender is called T-Bone or Tibone. This is a classic steak that has a fairly recognizable appearance with a T-shaped bone in the middle, which is where its name comes from. In addition to attractive appearance, he is famous for his taste. For this type of steak, the lumbar cut of the carcass with bone is used. It includes two types of meat at once, combining soft and tender, as well as richer parts. This meat has an average percentage of fat, which makes the taste more pronounced. Due to its size, this steak takes a long time to cook.

Filet mignon is the most tender and lean type of steak. To prepare the minion, the central part of the tenderloin is used, which contains a very small percentage of fat and is excellent as a dietary food. It is distinguished by its small size and large thickness - from six to eight centimeters. The taste of this steak is less expressive, as is the aroma. It cooks quite quickly. It is important to closely monitor it during the cooking process; it is easy to overcook and spoil it.

If Mignon can be called a woman's dish, then Striploin fits the description of a man's dish. It has a rich taste and aroma and is characterized by larger fibers. Striploin is also called “New York”, since this steak was first prepared in this city. For preparation, use fillet of the lumbar part of beef carcass.

Potterhouse, along with T-bone, is considered the largest steak. It is often difficult to cope with it alone. It originates from London, where it was first filed. Potterhouse can be compared to T-bone not only in size, but also in the presence of bone. This version of steak is also famous for its taste using the most tender marbled beef.

Flank is prepared from sirloin taken from the belly area. It is generally free of fat and bones, making it a fairly easy dish to prepare. For flank, an important factor is its marinade, which should include acid, usually citric. It allows you to make the meat more tender by slightly separating the fibers from each other. Variations of various marinades can be easily found on the Internet or come up with yourself. Basically, the marinating of the flank takes several hours, no more than a day.

To prepare Chuck Roll steak, fillet taken from the neck area is used. Chuck Roll is very similar to Ribeye, only its meat is more tender and flavorful. It is great not only for frying, but also for stewing and baking. This steak will be delicious in any form.

Beef is not always used to prepare steak. There are options for cooking from chicken fillet, as well as turkey and fish. Such dishes can be classified as lean or dietary. They have their own cooking characteristics; as a rule, everything is much simpler with them than with beef. And the price for such meat is much lower. Turkey thigh fillet steak is especially tasty; its taste is something between lean beef and turkey.

Lamb or pork can be an excellent alternative to beef. There are also a large number of features and variations in the preparation of this meat. As a rule, they are less fussy than beef. In addition to the most affordable types of meat, which are sold in butcher shops in any city, steak can be more exotic, for example, using bear meat or venison, which in some locations is not considered very exotic. In addition to the listed examples, there are a large number of types and classifications of this dish. A complete list of recipes can also be easily found on the Internet.

But the main factor in preparing an excellent steak, of course, is the experience of the cook, who knows exactly which marinade is most suitable for which meat, and also determines the required degree of roasting.

It is very important to choose the right degree of roasting. If you leave meat on the fire for too long, it can be overcooked, causing it to become dry and tasteless. If you remove it too early, you risk getting an undercooked steak. But if this problem can still be dealt with, then the first one will send your steak to the trash. Therefore, you need to know how to properly fry meat. Often the description of a specific recipe indicates the recommended time and temperature, despite this, there are five main types of meat frying, namely:

The first is the type of frying: Rate or low-done, since the steak does not have to be completely fried; this type of frying is perfect for rare steak options; with low frying, the temperature in the central part of the steak should reach +50°C;
Lightly cooked with a crispy crust is called Medium rate; with this type of frying, the temperature in the core of the meat piece should not exceed +55°C;
There is an average roast of Medium, while the temperature in the center is +60°C;
Medium Well is a well-done steak, which is determined by the pink hue of the meat in the middle; the suitable temperature for it is +65°C in the center;
The highest degree is Well Done, the roasting temperature reaches +70°C.

Important! If you raise the temperature higher, the steak will be overcooked, if lower, it will remain undercooked. You should adhere to five gradations and everything will be fine.

Which one is better to choose?

Each of the described options differs in its taste and aroma, as well as in the fat content, density and structure of the meat. Of course, it is better to approach the choice of meat for steak subjectively, because everyone different tastes. Therefore, in order to choose a steak, you should decide on your taste preferences. It is worthwhile to carefully understand this issue and try different variations of steak from different cuts and with different degrees of doneness. It’s foolish to stop at just one version of this dish.

To prepare your first steak, it is highly recommended to choose Ribeye, since it is unpretentious in preparation and is a kind of classic of the genre. Having tried to cook it yourself, you will be able to appreciate all the advantages and fullness of taste of dishes from beef meat. It is preferable to fry steaks on a grill using a grill, but you can use a special frying pan.

Unfortunately, steak cooked in a frying pan, although very tasty, will not compare to meat traditionally cooked over an open fire.

You will learn how to cook beef steak in the next video.

There can be no complete nutrition without meat. And, if we talk about something tasty, it’s steak, of course! In this article we will talk about more than just beef steak. And about which piece is better to choose and how to cook.

Choosing the right meat

Cooking a classic steak is impossible without good beef. First you need to figure out how to choose the right meat.

Do not buy frozen meat for steaks. Even at a temperature of 0 0 C during freezing, changes in the properties of this product occur. Meat after freezing is more juicy. This is certainly not bad.

But there are also negative aspects of freezing - when the liquid in meat freezes, it forms crystals that disrupt the structure of the meat, cutting its fibers.

When choosing meat, look at its color, which will determine its freshness. Fresh beef has a rich red color. Fat should be only white in color, without any shades. If the meat is fresh, the fat should crumble (this applies to beef fat).

Go buy meat at the market. Since meat at the market is checked daily. This happens less often in the store. Especially if it is packaged and packaged meat.

There is also the opportunity to purchase homemade meat at the market. good qualities. And, if you get to know the owner of this meat and become a regular customer, then no one will deceive you.

Check the elasticity of the meat to determine its freshness. Press your finger on the piece you like, if the dent quickly goes away, then you have chosen fresh meat, your steak will turn out tender. And when, when pressed, you feel how it springs, it means that it is not the first freshness and the steak from it will turn out to be rubbery.

Pay attention to layers of fat. They make the meat juicy. Choose a piece that has layers of fat. When you start cooking, they will melt and the steak will turn out very juicy and very tender.

Types of steak

The best parts of beef are used to prepare steak. The pulp is simply not suitable for this dish. The type of steak depends on what part of the beef it is made from. There are approximately one hundred types of preparation of this dish.

Let's look at the most popular ones.

Marble steak - another name for Ribeye. It uses meat that is cut from the subscapular part of beef. It contains many layers of fat, making it look like marble. It is considered best when these veins are thin and there are quite a lot of them.
T-bone- it was called that because of the bone, which looks like the letter “T”. It is cut out at the edge of the dorsal part and the lumbar part at the place where the thin boundaries of the longest muscle and the notch form. The beef carcass is specially chopped so that there is a bone with meat. Such steaks can be bought ready-made - pieces of meat on a T-shaped bone.
Filet mignon, a type of steak made from the most tender part. It has the appearance of a stump, cleared of all veins and sinews, slightly beaten, in the shape of a steak. If you do the hammering yourself, don't use a hammer. Beat with the handle of a knife.
Roundrumb- meat for this type is cut from the upper hip part of the carcass.
Tornedos- cut pieces of meat from the thin edge of the main part of the tenderloin.
Porterhouse steak- here they use meat from the thick edge of the lumbar cut of the carcass.
Club steak- this steak has a small rib bone with meat from part of the back on the border of the thick edge of the long muscle.
Chateaubriand- for this steak, take a fairly thick piece from the central part of the beef carcass.
Rum - steak prepared from tenderloin, which is cut into thin pieces and well beaten.

Whatever type of steak you choose, keep in mind that the pieces of meat must be cut into 3 or 5 centimeters thick. Along the cross grain for uniform roasting.

Preparation

After you have chosen meat at the market and brought it home, you need to clean it well before cooking. It is necessary to cut off all films and external tendons from it. Rinse thoroughly under running water. Then place the meat in a colander to drain all the liquid, or on a towel for about 15 minutes.

After this, you need to properly cut the meat. Steak portions should only be cut across the grain. Due to this cutting, the fat evenly passes through the fibers of the meat during frying. The meat is heated quickly and evenly.

As mentioned earlier, the thickness of the pieces should be from three to five centimeters in thickness. If you decide to cook in a frying pan, three centimeters is enough. On coals - the thickness should be at least five centimeters.

Attention! Don't forget that a steak is not a chop. Prepared pieces cannot be beaten, as the meat loses its juices and its structure.

Prepare seasonings to use when cooking meat. Steaks need to be marinated. To do this, take a ceramic or glass container. Prepare a marinade with olive oil, salt, seasonings and wine vinegar, you can add a little soy sauce.

Mix everything and pour this marinade over the prepared meat. Mix the meat with the marinade well so that it is all covered. Cover with a lid and leave to marinate for 10 hours.

After the specified time, start cooking.

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Which part of beef makes the most delicious and juicy steak? Rules for choosing meat and frying steaks - how does the American way of cooking differ from the European one?

What is steak?

Steak is a thick cut of quality beef meat, cut across the muscle fibers and fried at high temperature in a frying pan or grill. Steak meat can be either drier (filet mignon) or streaked with fat (marble steak). Steak with a rib bone is called ribeye.

Although the classic steak is whole beef meat roasted over a fire for a short time, there are numerous recipes for oven-baked steaks, pork steaks and even salmon steaks. Formally, even a steak made from... ground beef(English) beef steak).

What meat is steak made from?

For steaks, meat is suitable from those parts of the carcass whose muscles do not participate in motor activity - primarily the chest, sides and back. Since no more than 10% of a steer's carcass can ultimately be used, this is one of the main reasons for the high cost of quality beef for steak.

The finished steak gets its name depending on what part of the carcass it was prepared from. In different countries, both the carcass cutting scheme and preferences for the choice of meat and roasting method differ. However, nowhere are steaks prepared from fresh beef - the meat is always stored for 15-20 days.

How to cook steak?

American steak is a large and thick piece of meat with noble streaks of fat (marbled beef).

In Europe, smaller and thinner sirloin steaks are preferred.

Steak is not just a piece of beef meat fried in a pan. Regular beef from the nearest butcher shop (especially fresh beef) is definitely not suitable for good steak- with it you will only get a large piece of stewed meat own juice meat.

Buy the right meat.
Preference should be given to either domestic meat for steaks in vacuum packaging or imported frozen meat.

Frozen meat must first be thawed before cooking - leave it in the main chamber of the refrigerator for several hours.
Cut the meat into thick pieces. The steak meat is washed, then cut into fairly thick slices - 2.5 cm for fatty marbled meat, or 4-5 cm for almost dry beef fillet mignon. Before cooking, the meat should rest at room temperature at least 30-45 minutes.
Prepare gas and frying pan. European thin sirloin steaks are best grilled on olive oil, non-stick frying pans and gas stove, and thicker and fattier American or Australian ones - in special ribbed frying pans or on the grill. In this case, a minimum of oil is required.
Don't spoil the meat! Under no circumstances should you wash the meat immediately before frying - it should be as dry as possible. Before grilling the steak, add a little on both sides. rock salt, black pepper or a pinch of aromatic herbs, but be moderate and do not overdo it with spices.
When grilling, keep the crust on the steak.. For education golden brown crust, retaining all the juices inside, it is important to fry the steak at high temperature. Do not place several pieces on the frying pan at the same time - this will lower the temperature and the meat will inevitably begin to stew in its own juices.
Be sure to time yourself. As with boiling soft-boiled eggs, the best results are obtained by timing the cooking time. Frying time depends on the thickness of the piece of meat and its type - starting from 1.5-2 minutes for filet mignon, ending with 6-7 minutes for each side of well-done marbled beef well done.
Let the steak rest before serving.. Before the steak is almost done, it is removed from the heat and placed on a plate for 5-7 minutes. The high temperature on the surface of the steak redistributes the internal juices, as a result of which the meat is more evenly soaked and becomes more tasty and juicy.

Grass-fed or grain-fed?

For correct and delicious steak the meat of young bulls of special breeds Angus is best suited ( Angus) and Hereford ( Hereford) age 1-1.5 years. Depending on the animal’s type of nutrition, the meat has more fat inclusions (grain-fed wheat and corn) or less (grass-fed).

In the USA and Australia, preference is given to “marbled” grain-fed meat - delicate fatty layers are formed inside the muscle fibers, so the steak after cooking turns out juicy and tender. However, in Europe and South Africa, drier grass-fed meats are preferred.

Steak doneness

In accordance with the American system of classifying doneness classes, steaks are divided into six degrees of doneness: very rare(almost raw meat), rare(meat with blood), medium rare(medium rare steak) medium(medium rare), medium well(almost cooked) well done(done).

For the thick, fatty steaks preferred by Americans, the optimal degree of doneness is between medium rare before medium well, and for thinner European steaks with low fat content (for example, classic filet mignon), light roasting is more suitable - from rare before medium.

To prepare a steak you need, first of all, high-quality beef meat and good frying pan. However, depending on your tastes (whether you prefer thin steaks of grass-fed meat or fattier marbled beef) will depend not only on the cooking time, but also on the required equipment.

Steak meat

Today we will tell you what kind of meat steak is made from and reveal a few secrets that will help you choose the best meat for steak, because the key to success in preparing any dish is undoubtedly the correct and high-quality raw materials.

What meat is steak made from?

IN classic version Beef is used for steak, but it is also possible to prepare dishes from pork, lamb and poultry. Pork steaks It is better to cook from the shoulder, thigh and neck parts of the carcass, but for lamb you can use only the neck and thigh. Poultry steaks are prepared from thighs and drumsticks.

Let us dwell in more detail on the choice of raw materials for beef steaks, since they are the most popular and incredibly tasty.

How to choose meat for beef steak?

To make the dish perfect, as a rule, the best parts of the beef carcass are used as the basis, and depending on what kind of meat is used for the dish, the steak gets its specific name. Let's list the main types of steaks that chefs most often prepare in restaurants.

Having decided on the choice of meat for steak and purchasing it at the market or in a store, be sure to pay attention to its freshness and color. The darker the product, the older the animal was and the tougher the dish will be. When you press a finger on a meat product, a mark should remain for some time and disappear gradually. If the meat springs back, the steak will be tough. A print that does not disappear at all indicates that the raw meat is not fresh. And one more important point. The fat layers must certainly be white, and not yellow or cream. Such shades of adipose tissue can only be characteristic of lamb meat.

Types of steaks

Today on sale, especially in markets or at the market, you can find steaks from any meat. However, it is very problematic for a beginner to decide on the choice of product without knowing some simple nuances. In order not to make a mistake in such a situation, we will tell you what types of steaks exist and how to choose them correctly.

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Ribeye steak(rib-eye, ribeye - from English rib - rib, eye - eye).

The steak is cut directly next to the rib and the cut somewhat resembles an eye, hence the name. Ribeye's may vary slightly depending on the factors listed below.

Typical ribeye steaks made from high-quality beef have an almost oval shape:

The appearance of rib-eye steaks may vary slightly depending on what part of the muscle they are cut from. Closer to the front of the carcass and closer to the back of the carcass, respectively:

Marbled beef ribeye steak:

Quite often ribeye steak is left on the bone., emphasizing its origin and name:

Cooked ribeye steak has a characteristic appearance with clearly visible fatty streaks:

How to choose the right steak meat

Filet mignon, porterhouse, ribeye - reading these words, you understand what to do good steak- this is not an easy task. Below we will tell you how to choose meat for steak in the store, what types it comes in and what are the advantages of each of them.

I won’t be mistaken if I say that every man, in addition to scrambled eggs and fried potatoes, must be able to cook steak. At least that's the legend. I didn't know how until recently. However, even now, if I show my steak to a knowledgeable person, he will most likely take a photo of it and post it on his Instagram with the hashtags #lol, #whatisthis, #hethinksthissteak.

Despite the fact that my experience in cooking steaks is still limited, I try to study everything new diligently, and therefore I started with the theory - how to choose the right meat for steak.

Types of steaks

None of the types of steaks have a Russian translation. In addition, if you order a pork or chicken steak in the presence of a knowledgeable person, you will most likely be looked at condescendingly.

It is believed that steak is made only from beef.

Depending on what part of the carcass is used for cutting, there are several (up to ten) types of steaks:

Ribeye- subscapular part of the carcass. Contains a lot of fat, so the meat turns out juicy.
Club steak- the back part of the carcass is used as a tenderloin. The steak has a small bone.
Filet mignon-considered the most tender meat, not prepared with blood.
Chateaubriand- the same filet mignon, but laid out lengthwise on a plate.
Tornedos- small pieces of tenderloin from which medallions are made.
Skirt steak- beef flank meat. It is considered quite hard, but tasty.
Porterhouse steak-separated by a T-shaped bone, contains a large amount of fat, which makes the meat juicy.
Roundrumb steak- a round piece of tenderloin from the hip.
Striploin steak- tenderloin that looks more like a sirloin strip than a steak.

How to choose

Despite the variety, each steak is suitable for different situations. Ribeye, for example, is considered the most unpretentious in cooking and at the same time very tasty. Tenderloin has a large amount of fat. Striploin steak is a softer cut than ribeye and is the steak most often served in steakhouses. Filet mignon is the most tender, almost “buttery” meat, but does not have such a rich taste due to the small amount of fat.

Randy Irion, marketing director for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, has some tips for selecting and cooking the right steak:

Buy thick pieces at least 2 centimeters thick.
Don't avoid fatty cuts: Fat gives the steak flavor, makes it juicy, and maintains its shape while grilling.
If you want to cook perfect steak, you'll have to buy a thermometer. The required temperature for rare steak is 51 °C.
Do not pay attention to the labels “organic”, “non-GMO”, “natural product”.
Ideally, you should buy your meat from a butcher shop rather than a supermarket.
If the meat gives off a slight ammonia smell, it is not fresh.
When you get home, feel the steak. If your fingers stick to the meat, it means it is close to being lost.
Ribeye is the best choice if you don't want to spend a lot of time choosing. According to Irion, almost any butcher or cook will tell you that ribeye is their favorite type of steak. It is not the most delicate, but has the richest taste.