One of the men's dreams for sure, a medium-rare, huge steak, freshly cooked, with a cold glass of beer after work. How their dream continues I don't know, but I do know the best steak recipes.
A steak is now one of the most popular meat dishes, most of which are grilled. I'm sure it's not just the men who love it, but the ladies are equally fond of well-prepared meat that's spicy on the outside and tender and succulent on the inside. Here too, excellence depends on the quality of the ingredients, but let's not forget the preparation. There are better and better recipes and procedures all over the world, but each one is a little different. I've looked into this and show you the traditions, spices and ingredients used in other nations to give you some ideas.
What is a steak?
Steak from any animal meat. Most of the steaks we see are beef, because that's what we like best. But steaks can also be bone-in and made from the tender cuts of any animal.
USA – T-bone
Let's start with the BBQ powerhouses, who use the grill in the same way, depending on the ingredients they are working with. Here, one of the most popular and most spectacular steaks is the T-bone. It is a steak and sirloin in one, with the T-shaped backbone bone in between. It is known to be the most flavoursome meat next to the bone, which is why it is so popular, not least because guests love to chew the bone as a ritual. America, in the wake of the great explorer, has always loved spices, but they are used with care when marinating steaks. They use various peppers and herbs, but mostly they like to enjoy the excellent taste of the meat on the plate on its own.
The trifecta: marinate - cook on high - rest.
Argentina - Rib eye
The highlight of Argentinian cuisine is beef steaks. Thanks to the favourable climate, Argentine Angus cattle graze on fresh grass all year round. Their meat is specially fatted: the fat is deposited between the fibres, giving the meat its characteristic marbling, which is visible on the cut surface. The fat makes the steak particularly succulent and tender. The easiest steaks to prepare are quality rib-eye beef seasoned with salt. Season the meat with salt and pepper and grill it on a charcoal grill for about 2-2 minutes per side. To enjoy an authentic Argentinian rib-eye steak, it is important to get the ingredients from the right place.
Australia - Wagyu steak
Australia's favourite, and the world's most noble steak, is Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef has received special attention from society because of its breed and husbandry. From birth, the animal is fed intensively and is provided with a peaceful environment. The Wagyu also has a truly marbled, fat-rich meat that tenderises, flavours and keeps the steak juicy during cooking. Many people fear it, seeing it as too fatty, but once you've tasted it, you'll never forget the experience. They also love rib eye steaks here, which are matured for up to 50 days and then cooked suddenly.
Uruguay - all things beef
It is a big meat-loving society, where most restaurants even have a barbecue room called parilladas. Uruguayans are real carnivores, which is why their capital is full of barbecue houses, or parrillas, which serve asado de tira, or beef ribs, and pulp, or steak, and a whole range of beef specialities. Of course, you can now also find vegetarian diets, a range of pizzerias, but their traditional snack is also a steak sandwich, the chivito.
Portugal - only naturally!
Portugal is famous for its grilled sardines, salt cod, fresh and fruity wines, but little is said about grilled meats. So important is the barbecue that, as you approach the capital, you can smell the charcoal and the smoke of the fats sizzling on it. In the markets you can find piripiri, or small whole chickens, and in every restaurant you can order freshly grilled beef (carne grelhada). Here too, they are careful not to let the spices or the side dishes overpower the flavour of the meat, so they often serve it on a metal tray with boiled potatoes and a slice of natural vegetable. In Portugal, it is common to find restaurants where guests grill thin slices of beef sirloin on hot lava stones at their table and season them to their own taste. Here too, the emphasis is on freshness and the ingredients.
IMPORTANT: The juice that comes out of the steak is not blood, as it is in the veins. It's just the juices and moisture of the meat that runs down into your plate and can be an excellent ’sauce’ for the steak.
Steak cooking methods:
· Rare: 1-1.5 minutes per page, 5 minutes rest. Core temperature: 52 degrees.
- Medium Rare: 2 minutes per side, 5 minutes rest. Core temperature 55 degrees.
- Medium (medium rare): 2.5-3 minutes per side, 4 minutes rest. Core temperature 60 degrees.
- Medium Welldone: 4 minutes per side, 3 minutes rest. Core temperature 65 degrees.
- Welldone: 5-6 minutes per side, 2 minutes rest. Core temperature 71 degrees.
