Do you turn your steak often when pan frying?
Pan frying your steak like the professionals requires a few techniques.
One of them is so simple yet so effective! That is to turn your steak often during the cooking process. This is suitable for thick steaks (2 4/2 cm – 3cm).
A thin steak really only needs to be turned over once because the steak is so thin that it takes very little time to cook through the interior.
A thick steak can be more challenging because it takes longer to cook the interior and this is why the ‘turning over technique’ works well.
After the initial browning to the steak’s exterior on both sides (that you would have used a high heat to achieve), turn down the heat to gently cook the interior. Now that you have achieved a nice brown exterior, this is the time to use the turning over technique. On this low heat, feel free to turn your steak a few times before you are happy with its doneness and are ready to remove it from the heat.
Why is it a great idea to turn your steak during the cooking process?
3 reasons:
1 Even cooking.
Even cooking is key to a successful outcome for your steak. It means the juices and temperature inside the steak are as evenly distributed as possible throughout. All parts of the steak are cooking as simultaneously as possible to achieve a restaurant quality outcome.
2 You are taking advantage of all those delicious juices and sediments.
The more the steak is having contact with those juices and sediments in the pan the more flavour for the steak. This is especially effective if you have used any ground spices on your steak. If there is fat rendered from external fat on the steak then, even more flavour for the steak when turning it over regularly.
The process of ensuring that all sides of your steak is well coated with what is in the pan is called basting and, as with even cooking, helps to keep it moist and juicy.
3 The cooking time is short – even on a low heat!
The low heat means gentle cooking. You need this process to be gentle so that you maintain juiciness and tenderness to the interior of the steak. It is a bonus that the cooking time is short due to regularly turning over the meat. short cooking time means you are saving time!
The short cooking time is important because, once the exterior is browned, you don’t run the risk of over browning/burning the exterior. Part of a restaurant quality steak is a good crust. A good exterior crust means its well presented and it has flavour.
You pay top $$$ for your steak in a restaurant. One of the reasons why it is so good is that its most likely that the professionals are using this very simple technique – which you can easily do as well.
Want to know more about cooking red meat?
https://www.philbysfinefoods.com.au/your-meat-mate-book/