Page 87 - YC Cooking School

Mastering Meat 1

yuppiechef.com/cooking-school.htm

10 steps to frying the perfect steak

1. Take your meat out of the fridge well before you start cooking
Room temperature meat equals a quicker cooking time and, in the case of
thicker cuts, ensures that when done rare it’s not cold inside.
2. Season the meat before cooking
This makes all the difference. When the steak comes into contact with heat, the
small droplets of moisture extracted by the salt combine with the salt to form a

lip-smacking crust.
3. Give venison a little lift
If you’re frying meat like venison that has a low fat content, try adding a delicious
pepper crust or use extra aromatics to bring out the flavour (as shown in our
handy video).
4. Never put meat into a cold frying pan
If the pans heats up while the meat is already in it, you won’t achieve that
delectable brown crust. The temperature of your pan also needs to be dictated
by the meat you’re frying. A steak will need a smoking hot pan, while a chicken
breast or lamb chop (which takes longer to cook) won’t need such fierce heat. If

you make it too hot, the skin of the chicken or fat of the lamb chop will burn
before the rest is cooked.
5. Use canola or extra virgin olive oil
If you want to use butter it’s best to combine it with olive oil, otherwise it will
burn.
6. Spoon the meat juices and butter/oil combination over the steaks while frying
This will keep the meat packed with flavour.

1/2