Nothing is better than biting into a juicy steak, but it is often an expensive cut of meat and can be intimidating to cook without it ending up overcooked or chewy. However, it is actually really easy to make a perfectly seared steak according to a cook known as the Halal Food Guy, as long as you do not use olive oil.
He said: “A neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable or avocado oil is best. Avoid olive oil, as it has a lower smoke point and can burn, creating an unpleasant taste.” Steak needs to be cooked at a high temperature to sear properly, and cooking fats like butter or oil begin to break down before the meat can properly sear.
This will result in the steak having a horrible, bitter, burned taste and also cause your kitchen to become incredibly smoky.
However, avocado oil and vegetable oil have a high smoke point, which means they can withstand a high heat without burning so you get a crispy caramelised skin a steak.
How to properly sear a steak
You will need:
- Steak
- Two tablespoons of avocado or vegetable oil
- Two tablespoons of butter
- Minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
Method:
First, take the steak out of the fridge about an hour before cooking to let it come to room temperature. A cold steak will not cook evenly and cause the outside to overcook while the inside remains underdone
Next, you need to dry the steak for around 10 minutes before you begin cooking and pat the meat with a paper towel. If there is any moisture on a steak, it can steam instead of sear, which will impact both the flavour and texture.
Season your steak with salt, which helps draw out moisture from the steak as well as make it more flavourful. However, do you season with black pepper just yet as it will burn in the pan while cooking so it is better to add it later.
After seasoning the steak, wait 10 more minutes and pat it down again, as the salt will have removed of all excess moisture. Then, drizzle a little avocado or vegetable onto the meat and rub it into the meat.
Now you are ready to cook. Place your pan on a high heat and add a small amount of oil. Once the pan is hot and the oil is sizzling, add the steak.
When you add your steak, do not move it and instead press it down slightly into the pan to help the crust form. Let it cook undisturbed for three to four minutes, then flip it over.
After flipping, let the steak cook for one more minute, then reduce the heat, and you can then sear it.
Add a generous amount of butter and minced garlic into the pan. Butter should only be used to flavour steak, and should never be used to cook it since it has a low smoke point.
Let the butter melt, and keep tilting the pan to fully coat the meat for roughly four minutes. Your steak should be medium-rare but if you want it medium then base the meat for longer.
If you have a meat thermometer, a medium-rare steak will be 53C while a medium steak will be around 58C.
Once the steak is cooked to your preference, remove it from the pan, season with pepper, and let it rest for five minutes. This is important as you need to let the juices distribute evenly throughout the meat, as it you cut it right away you will get a dried-out cut of meat.
When the time is up, your steak should have a beautiful golden-brown crust while the inside if juicy and perfectly tender.