One of the most basic and most common preparations in everyday cooking can also be the one that ends up in disaster more often than we would like to admit. A grilled steak does not have, in principle, much mystery, but mastering the perfect technique requires taking into account some key points as well as avoiding certain common mistakes.
In principle, cooking grilled steaks is easier than frying them or preparing fish with the same technique, which tends to stick and overcook more. It is only a matter of cooking the piece to the desired point on both sides using a griddle or similar frying pan with little fat, with the optional dressings to taste.
That is the theory, because in practice we can underestimate this basic cooking technique and end up spoiling a good raw material or end up with a steak that is excessively raw inside -something dangerous if we use chicken or pork- or overcooked, dried out or churruscado, or with so little grace and flavor that it looks like hospital food or service station buffet food. Let's review all the keys.
What meat to buy
A steak is nothing more than a type of cut that can also be applied to vegetables, but generically we refer here to pieces of beef, rather lean and not excessively thick, leaving out chops, sirloins, entrecots and other cuts such as round, although they can also be filleted and cooked on the grill.
The better the quality of the raw material, the better the results on the plate, that is a matter of course. The ideal is to go directly to a butcher's shop and ask for the cuts prepared at the moment, indicating to the professional what we want them for and selecting the size and thickness that we like the most.
In general, for cooking on the grill, the so-called category A cuts are recommended: tapilla or picaña, tapa, hip, contra and babilla. With a lower percentage of fat, we also have category B options that are usually somewhat more economical, such as aguja, contratapa and espaldilla.
The toughest meat of cows, calves and oxen is in the front part of the animal, since they support more weight on the two front legs and drag the hind legs when walking. For this reason, the cuts mentioned in category A belong to the hindquarters. Meats are tougher the more collagen is involved in the fibers.
If we indicate in the butcher's shop that we are going to cook them on the grill, they should give us the most appropriate thickness, but it is advisable to check or ask for them to be neither too thin nor too thick -we are not cooking steaks-. About 5-7 mm thick is an adequate measure for grilled steaks. Approximately half a centimeter as a general guide.
Temper for two hours and dry.
Cooking meat straight from the refrigerator is not a good idea, but not because of thermal shock. The reason is simple: very cold meat forces us to lengthen the cooking time, and that augurs failure when cooking steaks of this thickness.
With only half an hour or an hour we will not achieve anything, unless the ambient temperature of the kitchen is excessively hot; the advisable thing is to leave the meat -protected- at least two hours; more if they are thicker pieces or it is cold. We speak only of beef, never leave raw chicken or turkey meat exposed without refrigeration for such a long time, and less in summer.
It is very probable that when the meat is left to temper it has accumulated humidity from the atmosphere, which condenses on its surface. The solution is simple: dry the piece before cooking, on all sides.
Which pan to use
Whether it is a frying pan or a griddle, flat or ribbed grill type with stripes, it must be of good quality and in perfect condition. In this case we are interested in non-stick, as cast iron is more designed to provide stable high temperatures for longer periods of time. Here we want speed.
Nowadays the current EU regulations do not allow the marketing of kitchenware with PFOA, banned from 2020, but if your pans are prior to that date you should not worry, as long as they are in good condition, without marks, scratches, scratches or cracks. If this is the case, it is advisable to change them.
Iron or frying pan is indifferent, the effect will be the same. It will be more comfortable to work with a special frying pan for this purpose, wide, with a thick bottom and low walls. If it can also be used in the oven, you will be able to cook other thicker pieces of meat more easily, such as steaks or sirloins.
Pan too hot
A very common mistake is to rush and not heat the pan or griddle sufficiently before adding the meat. It is crucial to let the utensil reach a good high temperature, especially if we want to prevent the steak from releasing water or cooking instead of browning well.
Meat contains around 70% water, which stops heating when it has already reached 100ºC (boiling point). We need the frying pan to be very, very hot so that, when the piece is placed in it, it barely drops in temperature and begins to brown almost instantly. It will not burn because the water contained prevents the surface of the fillet from exceeding 130ºC, at most, in such a short cooking as the griddle.
The pan is heated without greasing; this is very important or we would end up with burnt oil that could burn the piece. In principle it is not necessary to add any oil or fat, neither to the griddle nor to the meat, but if you prefer to take care of your health so that it is easier to turn -and to give that point of flavor and fatty juiciness to the leaner pieces-, you can spray just before tossing the steak, or spread it on the meat itself.
How do you know when the pan is hot enough? Pour a few drops of cold water; it should evaporate instantly with that typical 'fchsss' sound.
Back and forth without getting dizzy
We are not sautéing, braising, stewing or barbecuing: grilling is fast and the meat must be left still. It is tempting to go around turning it to make sure it is well done, but this only spoils the result. It takes some practice, but you learn quickly.
As a starting point we can count, approximately, one minute and a half for each side of the steak, if it is of standard size and medium thickness. It is not advisable to use a fork or other sharp object, not so much to avoid puncturing the meat -it will not lose juices because of that-, but to avoid damaging the pan and to prevent it from slipping. It is better to use a spatula or smooth tongs that resist the heat well and do not damage the pan.
If we cook other cuts we will have to adjust the times. An entrecote, for example, requires marking the piece well on both sides and finishing the cooking with a softer temperature for the inside, according to the desired point, for which a casserole with a lid or the oven can be useful. Chicken fillets, if they are whole half breasts, should be flattened beforehand to ensure even cooking, and should never be undercooked on the inside.
Adjust the doneness of the beef steak to your taste, leaving it more or less done, but keep in mind that the more time it spends in the pan, the more the proteins coagulate and lock up the water in the meat, causing it to dry out and become tougher.
We only apply this to steaks of this thickness; in cutlets, tournedos and similar, from about 3 cm thick and with more fat, it is even more advisable to turn the meat often to accelerate the cooking and achieve a more homogeneous result. In any case, never overload the pan with too many pieces or use a steak that is too large for the cooking surface.
Resting
Thicker, fattier cuts of meat require more rest before slicing and serving. In a grilled steak it is not such an important step, but it will always help to make it juicier. By leaving it for a few minutes, its inner juices will be absorbed by the outer, drier part, gaining moisture and juiciness.
When to add the salt
There are two options: either well in advance or just before serving. There is no point in adding salt at the moment of cooking.
Salt, in addition to salting, denatures the proteins and makes them lose less juices and water, but only if we give it time to do so. When the meat is salted before cooking, it first dissolves and then penetrates its fibers, very slowly. In the process it can release juices, but if it is left a little longer the meat reabsorbs them again.
Ideally, the meat should be salted the day before, although if it is a thin, lean fillet, we can make do with about three hours. To add the salt only 30 minutes or an hour before will have little effect, since it can take between one and two hours to penetrate barely a millimeter.
If we have not had time, the best thing to do is to forget about seasonings until the steak is done, adding a textured salt that also provides that crunchy point that will make us salivate more, such as Maldon or flakes, which can be flavored with citrus or herbs. So that it does not dissolve, it is necessary to season after resting, just before eating.
To enrich the fillet we can apply the deglazing technique, recovering all the flavor and particles left in the pan.