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No matter what type of beef you prefer, whether you like a thrifty cut such as skirt or traditional and tasty filet mignon, you need to cook the meat with care and attention. A couple of minutes can be the difference between a rare piece of steak and one that is well-done. The difference is huge. Because of this, I have put together some top tips on cooking the perfect steak.
• You should look for a piece of steak with a good layer of fat. This is essential in terms of flavour.
• Choose beef boasting a deep red colour.
• The age of the steak is vital. I always recommend going for anything that has been hung from three weeks to five weeks. This will ensure that the meat is tender and full of flavour.
How do you like your steak cooked? Generally steak can be separated into five different categories, which are as follows – blue, rare, medium-rare, medium and well-done. Let’s take a look at each one in further detail…
• Blue – The steak will be just warm and will still be dark in colour, almost purple. To achieve blue steak you should cook it for about a minute and a half either side.
• Rare – Rare steak feels soft and spongy. It will have some juice flowing and will be dark red in colour. You should cook the steak for approximately two minutes and a quarter on each side.
• Medium-rare – When contrasted with rare steak, medium-rare will be pinker in colour, with a little bit of juice flowing. This is a popular choice amongst people that order steak in Hong Kong. To achieve this you should cook the meat for three and a quarter minutes on each side.
• Medium – There will be hardly any juice flowing with a medium cook steak and the meat will be pale pink in the middle. To achieve this you should cook the meat for four and a half minutes on each side.
• Well-done – Finally, a piece of well-done meat should only contain a trace of pink and no juices, yet this does not mean that it should be dry. Cook the steak for approximately five minutes on either side.
Please note that the timings I have provided are based on a three and a half cm cut of steak.