Steak Recipes | Taste of Home (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to the perfect steak? ›

Rest the meat

If you cut into those tight muscle fibers as soon as it's off the heat, all the juices pour out. That's why resting meat for 5-10 minutes is the secret for preparing a juicy and tender steak. This resting time allows the muscles to relax and release their juices evenly into the meat.

Things that respond well to hot-fast cooking include chicken breasts, pork loin, pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin, tri-tip, ribeye, and any steak-like cut. Most fish and many kinds of seafood also respond well to searing at high heat for short periods of time—tuna steak comes to mind.

Rub your steak with garlic

You don't need a really fancy rub to make your steak taste great. Simply slice a garlic clove in half and rub the cut part over the steak, including the sides. Feel free to toss the garlic in the pan when you cook the steak; it'll soften and become rich and tender.

How does Texas Roadhouse tenderise their steaks? Season each side of the steak well with the seasoning and set aside to rest for about 40 minutes. This causes the salt to infiltrate the surface (through osmosis) and actually aids in the breakdown of muscle fibres, resulting in more tender meat.

Most fine restaurants age their beef to intensify the flavor and improve the tenderness of the cut. Aging is done by letting the meat sit (in very controlled conditions) for several days or weeks.

Tenderize the steak: Use a meat tenderizer to break down the muscle fibers in the steak. You can also use a marinade that contains acidic ingredients like vinegar or citrus juice, which can help to break down the connective tissues. Cook the steak to the right temperature: Overcooking can make a steak tough and chewy.

You can use key lime to tenderize it. The best marinade to tenderize a tough piece of beef is a combination of acidic ingredients such as vinegar, citrus juice, or wine, along with oil, herbs, and spices. This combination helps to break down the tough fibers in the beef, making it more tender.

Steaks should always be cooked on high temperatures to sear the outside and trap the juices and flavor inside. Steaks should almost always be cooked on a grill or in a pan on high heat: all cooking guidelines below are for one-inch thick steaks.

Cook the steaks.

Carefully place the steaks in the hot pan and cook on the first side until enough of a crust has developed that the steaks no longer stick to the pan, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on the other side for 1 minute. Continue cooking and flipping for a total of 4 minutes.

Is it better to cook steak on high heat or medium heat? ›

Cook to Your Desired Level of Doneness

To cook your steak to medium or medium-rare, set the skillet over medium-high heat. To cook the steak to medium or well-done, start at medium-high for the first few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking to your desired doneness.

For the ultimate chef's steak preparation, if you don't have this steak seasoning, marinade your steak with a pink of sea salt, coarse ground black pepper, and minced garlic – this combo gives your chef's steak the ultimate caramelization and nice thick crust that we all love so much.

Throw the steak on the cast iron, and let the steak sizzle for about 1 minute, then flip. Keep flipping every minute. Once the internal temperature hits 105ºF, add some butter, rosemary, thyme, and garlic cloves to the skillet, and let it all come together. Scoop some butter over the meat now and then.