Cooking The Perfect Steak

It’s easy to cook up a great-tasting steak at home when you follow these helpful hints.

• Choose the recommended cooking method for the steak. (See charts)

• Leave a thin layer of fat on steaks during cooking to preserve juiciness. Trim fat after cooking. Most steaks purchased in supermarkets have a fat trim of 1/8 inch or less.

• Pat beef steaks dry with paper towels for better browning.

• Use the correct cooking temperature. Cooking beef steaks at too high a temperature can cause the outside of the steak to char before the interior reaches the proper doneness.

• Turn steaks with tongs. Do not use a fork, which pierces the beef and allows flavorful juices to escape.

• Add salt or seasonings containing salt to each side after browning. Salt added before cooking draws out moisture and inhibits browning.

FROM A CHEF’S KITCHEN…TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Home cooks sometimes wonder why their steaks don’t look and taste like those from a restaurant. One reason is that restaurant equipment reaches very high temperatures which cannot be duplicated at home. Another reason is that the grade of beef may be different than what most consumers can purchase in supermarkets.