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Call us: Petone 04 5669714 | Lyall Bay 04 387 7414
Open 7 days a week! 9am to 5:30pm. Call us: Petone 04 5669714 | Lyall Bay 04 387 7414
One of the quintessential elements of a great Kiwi Barbie is STEAK and with most Kiwi men claiming to be able to cook the perfect steak, we thought we would share some tips and provide you with the knowledge to steak you claim.
Choosing the right steak makes the world of difference and is a huge factor in cooking the perfect steak. Below are three elements which will help you find the perfect steak.
Beef should have abrasive marbling of milky white fat running through it. If the marbling is minimal or if the fat contains a brown or yellow tint (which is a sign of old, dry meat), avoid it. Also avoid meat with large clumps of fat within the flesh. The thin marbling will melt and give the flesh richness and juiciness; the large clumps can be greasy and cause flare-ups.
The flesh should have a rich pink or light cherry appearance. If it has a deep red or other dark colour, there is a good chance it came from a dairy cow and the meat will be bland and tough.
The surface should be moist, but not wet or sticky. A cut of meat that has been individually wrapped should not have much liquid in the package. That would indicate that the meat had been frozen and thawed.
With babrbecuing season almost upon us, knowing the different cuts of steaks and which part of the animal the steak comes from is great bbq conversation filler whilst your meat cooks. Below are four of the most common steaks cooked on a New Zealand BBQ.
This is the classic steak house steak that features both a strip steak and filet mignon, separated by a bone. Both steaks come from the short lion right beside the sirloin.
This flat, firmly grained steak is located near the rump of the beef, so the meats a bit tougher than cuts from the loin and the rib. However this is still a juicy and a great cut for grilling.
A rib eye steak's abundant internal fat melting into the meat creates one of the juiciest steak-eating experiences imaginable. The scotch filet comes from the rib section. The even marbling and fattiness of rib eyes make them great for slow-roasting and grilling at almost every temperature.
A rump steak is from the round primal cut of the beef. This is a lean cut and it is moderately tough. Lack of fat and marbling makes round dry out when cooked with dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or grilling.
Pricey and velvety soft, filet mignons make a nice splurge for special guests, though it's really the tenderness you are buying. Filet mignon is taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin.
One of the best things you can do for beef is let the steak warm up to room temperature before placing on the grill. For starters placing a cold steak on the grill minimises the searing which helps the steak caramelise. Secondly the steak will be harder to properly cook to your liking; large piece of meat that has been properly refrigerated will be very cold in the middle and will take longer to cook the inside resulting in a burnt steak on the outside and uncooked on the inside.
It's best to season the steak right before applying to the bbq. This is more than enough time for the salt to penetrate the meat a little, so the inside gets seasoned a bit as well as the outside. Do not add salt to the steak before refrigerating it, as the salt will draw moisture out of the meat, which will make it drier and chewy. Steaks do not need much seasoning to be great, simple rock salt and pepper is all that is needed.
Crank that heat up!
Heat is the key to cooking your steak right. You should only be able to hold your hand over the grill for one second. The high heat from the bbq will then be able to sear the meat and seal in the flavour. It will also enable you to cook your meat quickly and properly.
Having a clean bbq
A clean bbq is another key to success. A clean bbq is an important element for many reasons. The bbq will heat better and therefore cook better, a clean bbq will also prevent the steak from sticking to the grill, and lastly it will ensure a clean and fresh taste.
One handy tip to clean your bbq that is inexpensive is cleaning the surfaces with an onion. Onion is known to be a powerful antiseptic, a natural antiseptic, onion kills bacteria and is safe to clean your BBQ grill without using harmfully chemicals and smells great adding flavour.
1. Heat up the bbq so it will be easy for the clumped up gook to scrape off.
2. Cut an onion in half.
3. Grab the rounded side of one half of your onion with your tongs and then with the flat end of the onion pointing facedown, rub down the grate. Check out this video from The Shed Online.
There are many different ways to cook the perfect steak, however here's a few handy tips to help you out.
Top quality, well-marbled meat needs no additions.
Oil can cause fire flare ups and change flavour. If the cooking surface is hot, the steak should have enough fat in it to do the rest and won't stick.
Steaks should only need to turn them once of course when you flip the steak depends on the type of cut and how thick it is, and how rare/well-cooked you want it. To know when to flip takes time and practice, to begin with use your tongs to lift up the steak and have a peak at the crust - it should be crusty golden brown before you are ready to flip. Flipping too often prevents the steaks from forming their tasty, well-seared crust.Always use tongs or a spatula when handling meat as piercing meat with a fork allows delicious juices to escape and makes the meat less moist.
Steaks are one of the quickest cooking meats so make sure you start cooking your other meat first especially meat that can rest for longer periods of times such as sausages otherwise the steak will dry out whilst waiting for the other meat to cook.
Steak doneness is another handy tip which takes time to master. There are a few ways to check doneness such as using a thermometer and looking at the colour. One technique that 4 Seasons Wellington recommend is pressing the surface of a steak with your fingertip. When the meat is no longer soft, but is not yet firm either, you know a steak has reached medium-rare doneness. Most raw steaks are as soft as the base of your thumb when your hand is relaxed. If you touch your index finger and thumb together, and then press the base of your thumb, that's how most steaks feel when they are rare.
Finally, for maximum flavour and juiciness, allow the steak to rest after you remove it from the bbq. Resting the steak within tinfoil is a great place to let your steak rest as those delicious juices that were driven by heat to the meat's surface to ease back into the center, where you can enjoy them bite by bite.
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