Simply Beef and Lamb

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Cooking the perfect steak

Here are some simple guidelines to ensure that you will cook the perfect steak every single time. These hints and tips will take the guesswork out of cooking steaks.

For 2cm (¾inch) thick sirloin, rump or rib eye steak cooked with moderate heat

For 2-3cm (¾ -1¼ inch) thick fillet and T-bone steak, add an extra minute on each side.

An easy way to test your steaks is to use the touch test. A steak becomes firmer the longer you cook it. You can tell how done it is by the firmness of the meat when you press the thickest part with your finger. Lightly place your thumb and forefinger together and compare the feel of the meat with the feel of the fleshy area at the base of your thumb. As you move your thumb from fingertip to fingertip, the thumb muscle tenses and becomes more resistant just like a steak as it cooks!

               

 

Rare: 5 minutes (2½ minutes each side), Touch Test: Forefinger to thumb

The outside of the steak is evenly browned, the centre heated through but still rare, contracts slightly when touched and very pink inside.

               

 

Medium Rare: 6-7 minutes (3-3½ minutes each side), Touch Test: Middle finger to thumb

Most of the centre of the steak should be pink, but warm through the middle with a hint of red. This steak should have a firm surface but be soft in the middle.

               

Medium: 8 minutes (4 minutes each side), Touch Test: Third finger to thumb

Half the rare meat in the centre (which is still slightly pink) is cooked, the steak is resistant when touched and the juices will seep on to the sealed surface of the steak.

               

Well Done: 12 minutes (6 minutes each side), Touch Test: Little finger to thumb

The steak is cooked right through and feels firm.

 

  • Remove steaks from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before cooking

  • Ensure the frying or griddle pan is hot before cooking

  • Before cooking brush the steaks with a little oil on both sides to prevent sticking

  • During cooking lightly press down the top of each steak with a fish slice or palette knife to ensure even cooking

  • Don't pan-fry or griddle too many steaks at one time, as the temperature of the pan will drop rapidly and the steaks will stew in their own juices

  • After cooking, rest the steaks for a few minutes before serving to allow the juices to distribute evenly