Your Brief Guide to Steak

Steaks are basically any piece of meat that falls under the category of "fast-cooking" cuts - cuts that have a relatively smaller amount of connective tissue so that they don't require the long cooking times that "slow-cooking" cuts require. The difference between a steak and roast essentially comes down to size. Any good roast can be cut into individual steaks.

The tenderness of a steak is inversely related to the amount of work that a muscle does during the steer's lifetime. Hence, while cheaper cuts like sirloin, flank, and skirt are becoming increasingly popular and available these days, the kings of the steakhouse are still the filet mignon or tenderloin. the strip, T-bone and ribeye. They are by far the tenderest pieces of meat on the steer. That, coupled with their small size make them the most expensive cuts at the butcher. 

In this video we get a demonstration of how to cook the perfect steak in a skillet on the stove top.

 

Or if you prefer to do an oven roast you can try this delicious recipe.

Mustard and Herb Crusted Beef

Ingredients:

1 tbs. olive oil

800g-1kg fillet of beef roast, centre cut

3 tbs. parsley, finely chopped

3 tbs. tarragon, finely chopped

2 tsp. thyme, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

1/s tsp cajun pepper

20g butter, softened

4 tbs. Dijon mustard

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made with 2 day old bread

2 tbs. Parmesan

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Pre heat your oven to 180C. Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. In a stove-safe roasting pan, brown the meat all over. Remove and rest on a tray. 
2. In a mini food processor, blitz the 2 tbs. parsley and tarragon and 1 tsp. of thyme add mixture to the breadcrumbs and add Parmesan. To make the garlic butter, in the same food processor, add some more herbs, dijon, butter and garlic.
3. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, spread the butter, Dijon and garlic paste over the meat. Press the breadcrumb mix over the butter. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes for medium rare. The internal temperature should be around 51C. If you would like it cook it to medium, leave in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes. 
4. Rest uncovered for 10 minutes before slicing into thick medallions. Serve with your favourite roasted potatoes and a green salad.