I love steak. There, I’ve said it! {I love meat – period.}
Now that we have that out of the way – here’s my version of The Perfect Steak:
The Perfect Steak is NOT covered in sauce.
The Perfect Steak is NOT cooked to a grey crisp.
The Perfect Steak is NOT over-seasoned {or under-seasoned for that matter…}
The Perfect Steak should be accompanied by carefully selected sides – perhaps one or two brilliant veggies or salad – it should be the hero on the plate with the best sidekicks.
The Perfect Steak is NOT cooked on a stove… {That smokey ‘braai’ flavour is the key to a Perfect Steak}
So what IS the perfect steak then?
Start off by getting a good cut of steak – whether it’s beef or venison.
{This is beef rump.}
Season it properly with good quality stuff {ground sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic} and let it marinade / rest for a few hours before cooking.
{Steak should always be at room temp when it’s cooked, otherwise it will not cook all the way through and if you enjoy a rare / medium-to-rare steak, it will be cold in the middle.}
Cook your steak over hot coals for a short amount of time – you want it nice and seared on the outside and juicy in the middle.
How do you like your steak done?
- Blue: Should still be a dark colour, almost purple, and just warm. It will feel spongy with no resistance.
- Rare: Dark red in colour with some juice flowing. It will feel soft and spongy with slight resistance.
- Medium-rare: A more pink colour with a little pink juice flowing. It will be a bit soft and spongy and slightly springy.
- Medium: Pale pink in the middle with hardly any juice flowing. It will feel firm and springy.
- Well-done: Only a trace of pink colour but not dry. It will feel spongy and soft and slightly springy.
{BBCgoodfood.com}
Here’s what you’ll need for my Perfect Steak:
Steak {one large piece of rump or 4 individual steaks}
3 garlic cloves, squashed
Freshly ground sea salt / pink salt
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
100g butter
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 bird’s eye chilies, finely chopped
Rub the steak(s) with salt, olive oil and squashed garlic cloves. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic and clingwrap until you need it. The longer it marinades, the more tender and intense the flavours.
Mix soft butter, garlic and chilies and roll into a cylinder-shape in some clingwrap. Refrigerate or freeze until it’s nice and firm.
Cook the steaks over hot coals for about 5-7 minutes on each side {depending on how you prefer the steak and the thickness of it}.
As soon as you’ve taken the steaks off the grill, place slices of your garlic butter on top and let it melt into the meat.
So simple and so delicious – The Perfect Steak. X
