As long as there is a steak lover in the family (there are several in my family...), the choice of eating every time will be easily suppressed by them, and it also forces me to constantly modify the way I cook steak. In the past, I would only use a flat bottom. As soon as you fry it in the pan and serve it, you will receive very cruel comments: it's too dry, it's too old, the beef is in vain, etc. You almost want to imitate the chef of Hell's Kitchen and just throw it in the trash can, because you still have to You can’t look cool just by filling your stomach! The total blow completely destroyed my confidence in steak.

Later, the Michelin chef saved me a little bit after he introduced his steak method. The steak gradually became juicy and rich in flavor. Unexpectedly, after reading his love book, he introduced the subversion of the traditional method of frying first and then roasting. Changing it to "grill first and then fry" allowed me to fry a crispy "shell" while the inside remained juicy and tender. It’s full of flavor, and because it’s finished in a pan, it’s less likely to overcook! My mother said you should be humble, but I couldn’t hide my pride when cooking a perfect steak. After I took a bite, I could only hear the praises one after another. The point is! Beef is something I just buy casually in the supermarket. A piece of beef for ordinary people costs about 30 yuan!

Integrate the essence of each of the chef + books and share them with you who are a steak lover, or you who have to cook for a steak lover.

The first step: choose the part

Fillet: the least moving part of the cow, the softest texture, medium beef flavor

New Yorker (outer rib) : Surrounded by fat on the outside, and oily flowers are evenly distributed in the middle. The texture is not as soft as filet or rib eye, but full of beef flavor

T-bone: The two sides of the T shape are a combination of filet + New Yorker. You can enjoy the softness of two kinds of filet and the taste of New Yorker beef. Full of dual taste

Rib eye: There are large pieces of oil, the middle part is soft, it tastes juicy and full of beef flavor

Since there are not many choices in the supermarket, I personally I prefer the filet, which is about one inch thick and worth about 20 yuan a piece. It is undeniable that the higher the grade of beef, the more beautiful the oil will be, and of course the better the effect will be. But common people’s beef can also produce the best results through the following methods!

Step 2: Refrigerator air-drying

You may have heard about beef aging, or have seen high-end beef restaurants proudly showing off their million-level aging rooms. Why does beef need to be "aged?" "Woolen cloth? What happened during this period? Simply put, during the dry aging process, the beef loses water, making the flavor more concentrated. In addition, the enzymes contained in the beef automatically break down the tougher tissue and muscle texture, making the meat softer and enriching the flavor. It has a more beefy flavor and even produces a cheese-like aroma.

What should I do if I don’t have a maturation room at home? You can use the refrigerator freezer to simulate the constant temperature and dry environment of the aging room to achieve a similar ripening effect.

Method: Dry the surface of the beef with paper towels, sprinkle with salt (to help dehydration), place it on the grill, and place a plate underneath to catch the dripping blood. Place it in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.

Attention, serious beef lover! The book also introduces the method of "dry-aged beef at home" (oh my god, it feels like the refrigerator is getting bloody).

Step 3: Low-temperature baking

What I used to do most often: take the beef out of the refrigerator and fry it directly in the pan over high heat. Just imagine when you put a thick, heavy piece of cold steak on a pan. No matter how hot the pan is, it will immediately cool down rapidly. However, the Menard reaction we want requires at least 150 degrees or above. In order to get a beautiful brown outer skin and a well-cooked interior, we have to extend the frying time. The longer the time, the more gravy is lost, and the end result is an old and poor piece of beef. (I had to quietly change it to beef stew several times to try and save it). Therefore, Heston mentioned the importance of "warming up". He would leave it at room temperature for 2 hours to allow the internal temperature to rise to avoid the above tragedy.

Maintain the temperature of the pan to produce an immediate browning effect on the skin.

The moisture on the surface of the oven evaporates, shortening the frying time, and the meat touching the bottom of the pot will not be overcooked

Using low temperature to activate the beef's own enzymes, making the meat softer and more tender< /p>

Method: Preheat the oven to 130C / 275F and place the baking sheet on the middle shelf. Take the beef out of the refrigerator, place it on the baking grid (with a baking sheet underneath), and bake for 12 to 25 minutes until the center temperature of the beef reaches 32C/90F. The difference in time depends on the size of the steak. I used a steak of about 200g and a thickness of 2.5cm, while the recipe in the book uses a steak of 450g and a thickness of 3.8~4.5cm.

Step 4: Preheat the pan until smoking

Can high heat lock in gravy? Won't! It is the Menard reaction that occurs at high temperatures, and the delicious taste that comes with it is the key point.

Method: When the oven time is almost up, add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and preheat it until it smokes slightly. Take the beef out of the oven and put it into the pan. Fry each side for 1 to 2 minutes. It is ready immediately. To produce a brown skin (you will find that it is much faster than the traditional method), remember to hold the steak with food against the edge of the pan and fry even the edges until it is browned (Menard reaction go go go).

You can use a finger test (you can check it on Baidu if you don’t know) to feel the doneness of the steak. If you feel it’s a bit abstract, you can use a thermometer to test the core temperature of the steak. The following is the temperature in degrees Celsius.

Medium rare: 46~48C

Medium rare: 48~51

Medium rare: 54~55

Seven Medium rare: 60~65

Well done: 68+

*The residual heat during resting will increase the core temperature by 4~5C

*The temperature reference is also It can be used on pork chops and lamb chops, but it is recommended to cook the pork chops at least until medium rare

Step 5: Let it rest to make the meat more juicy

Let it rest to allow the beef to shrink inside The proteins relax and draw the meat juices back in again. Heston had also done an experiment before. He asked a big man to stand on two pieces of fried beef and press it directly across the board. Result: The steak that was not rested released a lot of gravy; the steak that was rested for 10 minutes had almost no gravy, showing the importance of resting.

Method: Fry the steak, season with salt and pepper, put it back on the grill, and place a baking pan underneath to catch the gravy. Cover with aluminum foil and use scissors to make a small cut in the middle to help the steam escape and prevent the crispy skin from softening. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Should such a delicious steak be served with some sauce? The sauce recipe is attached immediately, welcome to use~

Red Wine Mushroom Steak Dip

The most convenient way to make steak sauce (not to buy it ready-made) is to fry the steak in the pan The brown "dregs" left over from the beef at the bottom are used to make the sauce. You can use the time the beef is in the oven to prepare ingredients~

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

150 g white mushrooms

1 shallot/ shallot (minced)

1 cup red wine/ red wine

1/2 cup chicken stock/ chicken stock

1 Tbsp Barcelona Rice vinegar/ balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

30 g unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

1 tsp dried thyme

A little salt

A little black pepper

Method:

1. Fry the steak to produce Pour out the fat, add vegetable oil and heat until smoking. Add mushrooms and sauté until brown.

2. Add shallots, stir until soft, add wine & chicken stock, use a shovel to scoop up the residue at the bottom of the pot (source of delicious food), keep it at a low boil, and concentrate to 2/ 3 amounts.

3. Add vinegar, mustard sauce, and the gravy produced when standing, and cook for about 1 minute until thickened.

4. Add butter, thyme, seasoning, and pour over the steak.