Cook the Perfect Steak every time
For those wanting to master the art of preparing the perfect steak, Hussar's Grill shares their expert tips.
09/04/2020
One of South Africa’s premier grill rooms, The Hussar Grill, is sharing its expertise with home cooks so that you can fire up the grill at home.
When it comes to choosing your meat, remember that The Hussar Grill serves only Class-A grain-fed beef and game and carefully sources its steak from local farms and family-run businesses. Please try and purchase the best quality produce available to ensure a quality meal.
The steak is aged for a minimum of 28 days for a superbly matured and tender cut that is essential for ensuring each and every piece of steak is flavoursome and of a quality that Hussar's Grill is renowned. And with a reputation of satisfying guests since 1964, Hussar's Grill knows how to do it the right way. After ageing, the steaks are vacuum-sealed before being stored in a 5-degree Celsius refrigerator.
If you have bought steak that is fresh but not aged, but is
vacuum sealed, rest assured that you can still wet age it at home by keeping it
sealed and leaving it in your refrigerator. Do not be alarmed if the meat
matures in colour from the bright reddish pink blush of fresh meat, to a deeper
tone – this is a good sign. Aging the meat improves its flavour and makes it
more tender.
When you’re ready to cook it, use a griddle pan for a beautiful
char-grilled mark effect and tongs to turn your steak, making sure that you do
not press down on the meat. Make sure that the pan is pre-heated before cooking.
Before placing the meat on heat, use a brush to lightly coat with olive oil and a basting sauce, if this is being applied. Do not put salt on the steak at this stage, as will absorbs moisture and result in the meat drying out.
To cook the perfect medium rare steak, grill it for 1 minute per 1 centimetre of thickness on each side. You can adjust the cooking time slightly if you want a rare or well-done steak. Cuts that have fat or are on the bone, cook it on that side first.
When selecting the best meat for the perfect steak, the best cuts are Fillet, as it comes from a part of the cow where muscles are hardly used. Fillet is best served rare or medium rare as it is lean and will dry out if cooked too long. Rump steak is from the hind quarters, where the muscles are not too developed. It can be served medium-rare. Sirloin is a fattier cut that should be cooked to the medium stage. Rib Eye, which is marbled with fat, needs to be cooked medium or more, to help break down the fat content and caramelise the fat into flavour.
Once the steak is cooked to perfection, be sure to allow time for it to rest for a few minutes. This ensures all the tasty juices have time to redistribute and reabsorb, resulting in a more tender and flavourful steak. And enjoy!
If you want more information on The Hussar Grill, pop onto their website www.hussargrill.co.za.