5 Pan-fried steak mistakes

When the fridge is empty, a steak can save dinner. But are you sure you know how to prepare it?

It is easy to say "I make a steak in the pan", but many times the result is a disappointing second course, dry, devoid of flavor and also not very presentable. So let's see how to prepare an extraordinary steak and what are the mistakes to avoid.

Meat for steak

First choose a good cut by asking your trusted butcher for advice. The best for meat in a pan are rump, or walnut. The slices must not be too thin and above all remember to take them out of the refrigerator a few hours before because they must be cooked at room temperature. If they are very humid, dab them with kitchen paper, in this way they will not lose too much liquid during cooking.

Steak: which pan?

In many recipes you will find the use of non-stick pans, but I recommend cast iron or metal instead, which for this type of cooking are the best materials and create the perfect crust around the meat leaving the juices inside. Remember that the pan must always be hot and that the fire should be kept high at the beginning and medium during cooking (never at a minimum) to prevent the meat from burning quickly, especially if it is thin. The temperature of the pan must always be around 140 degrees and the inside of the meat around 100 °C.

Cooking the steak

You should not use oil or butter to cook a steak in a pan. As I have already said it is very important that the pan is hot and the meat dry enough. If the meat is very fatty it will cook with its own fats, otherwise you can brush it with oil before cooking. Do not prick the steak continuously with a fork because it may lose all the juices. Turn it using a kitchen tongs only when it is well cooked on one side and add salt at the end, preferably salt flakes. Do not cook more steaks together and always leave space between one and the other otherwise the temperature may drop too low. Once the steak is cooked, close it in aluminum foil and let it cool a little, making it evenly distribute its juices inside before consuming it.

The seasoning

If you want to season your steak with a reduction prepared with its juices, add in the hot pan, after taking the steak, wine or orange or lemon juice and melt everything that has deposited on the bottom during cooking. Serve the steak with its sauce or with a drizzle of raw oil, always extra virgin olive oil.

The 5 golden rules for the perfect steak

1. The cut of meat.

In general, prefer marbled cuts, or with small veins of fat, because compared to those that are too lean they remain much softer and juicier after cooking.

2. The importance of thickness.

Make sure that the steak has a thickness of about 2-3 cm (otherwise we talk about slice). The height of the slice must be as uniform as possible to promote homogeneous cooking.

3. The choice of the pan.

Away from the barbecue, to prepare an excellent steak in the home kitchen, is the cast iron pan.

4. Salt.

It is generally said that the salt distributed on the meat before cooking determines a dry and hard result. As far as the steak is concerned, this is not really the case: the cooking time is too short to let the salt act. Indeed, in the best Steak House salt is added about an hour before cooking to improve the flavor of the meat that remains juicy and tender.

5. Oil yes, oil no.

If the steak is sufficiently fatty you can do without oil. If, on the other hand, it is a very lean cut, spread both sides of the meat with greasy hands. Speaking of oil: remember that the first time you use your Fusion Taste cast iron pan, you will have to rinse it, dry it and brush it with a little vegetable oil. After a few minutes it will be ready for cooking.

Finally, a couple of important tips to keep in mind:

After cooking the meat, close it for a few minutes in aluminum foil before cutting it. In this way the juices will be distributed homogeneously reaching even the driest areas. Remember not to lose the succulent meat leftovers in the pan! While the steak rests for a few minutes, glaze the cooking stock over medium heat by pouring a drop of wine. Then pick up the tasty sauce and use it to season the meat.