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I created this blog to help friends find fun in cooking by sharing tasty recipes, cooking techniques and answering questions. I hope you enjoy it!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Broiling Steaks 101

I had a friend ask me the proper method of broiling steaks.  She mentioned that her husband always turns them into shoe leather.  Now that can't be very tasty!  So here's the right way for a tasty, tender and juicy steak.

1. Prepare your steaks and preheat your broiler. 
  First, prepare your steaks.  All meats cook better, more evenly and easier if they've been allowed to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.   A good steak according to any purist really only needs 3 things for seasoning, a small amount of vegetable oil rubbed over the entire surface of the steak (keeps them from sticking to the grill-pan, allows seasonings to adhere to the meat and helps promote that ever so tasty caramelization we crave), kosher salt and cracked black pepper.  You may season accordingly or as you like, then allow your steak to rest while your broiler heats.  Preheat your broiler on high, let it get screaming hot!

2. Broil the steak.
Once the broiler has achieved maximum heat, place the steaks on the broiling pan and place in oven. The cooking time for the first side is going to depend on a three major things: how thick your broiling pan is, how thick your meat is, and what type of oven you have. A gas range will get hotter than an electric range, it's just how they're made.   Also, it depends on how well-done you like your meat. Personally, I believe anything past medium-rare or medium is a waste of good meat but if you can't stomach a little blood or pink in your meat, you will need to cook yours a little longer than the rest of us.  ***I'll post a chart in my next blog on cuts, weights and timing for meats from the Iowa Beef Council.  

 3. Don't forget to flip your steak half way through cooking time.  

4. Time to eat.....ALMOST.
So your steak is done, it's sitting there on your broiling pan and you're salivating over the smell.  But wait!!!!!  You need to let your steaks rest for at least 5 minutes.  This gives the meat time to redistribute all the juices so they don't just gush out when you cut into it.  This ensures it will stay juicy (provided you didn't cook it well done) and all that flavor will stay in your steak, not on your plate!  You can cover it with foil to help retain heat.
5. Now you can eat!  Enjoy 











































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