Serving Steak: Get To The Meat Of The Matter

It’s a staple and one of the most widely enjoyed meals by meat-lovers around the world. Sometimes, nothing scratches the itch or fills you up just as much as steak does. But the truth is that a lot of people simply cook it wrong. If you’re ever making steak for you and your friends, you need to make sure you do it right.

It’s an involved process

There’s a set order to preparing a steak and failing it is a big mistake. For instance, you need to take it out of the fridge before cooking and let it come to room temperature so it cooks exactly as even as you want it to. Make sure you season it before you throw it on the pan too. Otherwise, it’s not going to be seasoned so much as dusted with added touches that will likely fall off it while it’s being cut up and eaten. You can season it as it cooks and releases the juices, too, with things like butter and thyme. Six minutes is the optimal cooking time for a medium-rare steak, but it’s not going to turn out well unless you turn it every minute. Finally, when it’s done, don’t serve it immediately. Let it sit on a hot plate for a minute so the juices can gather before you start carving and serving.

It’s all about the contrast

Few things taste better than a juicy, well-made steak. But it’s a taste that you can get bored of if you don’t have the right contrast. It’s not enough to just serve a steak with a simple staple like potatoes. The best sides are a little more flavoursome, Pearl onions, and add a tart sweetness that does well to liven up the heavier taste of steak.

Different cuts deserve different wines

If you’re serving wine with your steak, then it’s good to base the choice off what cut you’re serving. We all know red wine goes best with steak, but there are plenty of different kinds of red wines. With leaner cuts, like top sirloin, then you want something light like Shiraz. For fattier cuts like a porterhouse, it’s all about those sweet, tannin-riddle flavours like a cabernet or maybe even a port.

Counteract the bloating

Steak is very filling. If you have even a few ingredients that cause bloating to go along with it, it can really make the post-dinner relaxation very uncomfortable. Instead, counteract it by serving the meal with tomatoes or asparagus. A banana and blueberry fruit pot after or even a cup of green tea can help people regain some control over their belly after they’ve had such a big meal.

When it’s done wrong, steak is more of a chore than something to enjoy. It’s not a pleasant eating experience and it can make you feel a little worse for the wear after. Make sure you know how to serve steak properly before you start throwing poorly prepared slabs of meat at everybody.