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The Secret to a Perfect Steak
3 years ago
Okay, so I know steak is one of the most popular meats to cook, but I see so many people cooking a grey ugly steak that can't be all that great. I don't want to admonish people for not cooking how I like, but I do want to share my methods for making awesome food.
If you buy a steak the first thing you should do is take that bitch out of the wrapping or what ever container it is in and put it on a rack in the fridge uncovered. You can do this for any meat, but I think it is best for streaks as they do not require a long cooking time to reach a safe internal temperature. What this does is dry the steak out in a method known as dry aging. A common misconception of dry aging is that a special fridge, bag, or other tools are needed to properly dry age. This is not the case as dry aging is actually a cold curing method that is normally used on large cuts of meat such as whole primals or sub-primal cuts.
Now the amount of time for dry aging is up to you. The best indication that meat has dry aged properly is the formation of a dark red skin or pellicle on the outside of the meat. This skin should look dry, feel dry, and will be tough or firm. This is okay and you do not need to remove this skin unless mold forms on the meat which is bad for a smaller cut of meat such as a Ribeye or Strip Loin steak. If there is mold on the steak, do not eat it. Mold has "roots" that establish on organic matter and are not visible to the naked eye. A small amount of mold may seem insignificant, but it can contaminate the entire steak. However, there should not be any mold on a small steak as it only needs to age for at least a day in the fridge.
Once you have reached your desired level of aging, you are good to go and cook your steak! I prefer a minimum of 2 days in the fridge before I cook my steaks. I also salt my steak while it dry ages so that it pulls more water from the cells of the meat and replaces it with salt.
Things to look for:
1.)There should be no gray color in your meat. This indicated that the meat was not properly dried and is wet aging instead.
2.)There should be no colorful residue on your meat. This is the final stage of death and means your steak has putrefied and started to rot. This is avoided by drying the meat properly.
3.)There should be little to no black spots on the meat. This dark red meat is very dry and tough, removing it may be desired but is not necessary.
Things to look for:
1.) There should be no moister on the the surface of the meat.
2.) The outside of the meat should feel a bit tacky.
3.) The color of the meat should be a dark red to almost black.
I hope this journal is fun to read an brings you many yummy meals in the future! Your steaks will be less juicy, but they will have a much better flavor and sear when cooked properly.
If you buy a steak the first thing you should do is take that bitch out of the wrapping or what ever container it is in and put it on a rack in the fridge uncovered. You can do this for any meat, but I think it is best for streaks as they do not require a long cooking time to reach a safe internal temperature. What this does is dry the steak out in a method known as dry aging. A common misconception of dry aging is that a special fridge, bag, or other tools are needed to properly dry age. This is not the case as dry aging is actually a cold curing method that is normally used on large cuts of meat such as whole primals or sub-primal cuts.
Now the amount of time for dry aging is up to you. The best indication that meat has dry aged properly is the formation of a dark red skin or pellicle on the outside of the meat. This skin should look dry, feel dry, and will be tough or firm. This is okay and you do not need to remove this skin unless mold forms on the meat which is bad for a smaller cut of meat such as a Ribeye or Strip Loin steak. If there is mold on the steak, do not eat it. Mold has "roots" that establish on organic matter and are not visible to the naked eye. A small amount of mold may seem insignificant, but it can contaminate the entire steak. However, there should not be any mold on a small steak as it only needs to age for at least a day in the fridge.
Once you have reached your desired level of aging, you are good to go and cook your steak! I prefer a minimum of 2 days in the fridge before I cook my steaks. I also salt my steak while it dry ages so that it pulls more water from the cells of the meat and replaces it with salt.
Things to look for:
1.)There should be no gray color in your meat. This indicated that the meat was not properly dried and is wet aging instead.
2.)There should be no colorful residue on your meat. This is the final stage of death and means your steak has putrefied and started to rot. This is avoided by drying the meat properly.
3.)There should be little to no black spots on the meat. This dark red meat is very dry and tough, removing it may be desired but is not necessary.
Things to look for:
1.) There should be no moister on the the surface of the meat.
2.) The outside of the meat should feel a bit tacky.
3.) The color of the meat should be a dark red to almost black.
I hope this journal is fun to read an brings you many yummy meals in the future! Your steaks will be less juicy, but they will have a much better flavor and sear when cooked properly.
