Steak - one of the most famous dishes that traditionally bought in restaurants men who appreciate rich meat flavor and dense texture of natural beef. The food seems simple, but the simplicity is deceptive: the preparation of steaks, as well as other cooking steaks, has a lot of secrets, and requires a certain skill.

The Many Faces of steak

Literally, the word steak translates as "a piece of beef." Initially they called the steaks from the head of beef tenderloin. Well broken-off pieces of meat to grill quickly on a hot skillet or on the grill, then served with fried onions, egg, french fries or vegetables.

Over time, there were so-called "hamburger" or "hamburg steak", which are prepared from ground beef. From the usual burgers Cutlets: a variety of national cuisines   steaks are characterized in that their preparation is used only meat without any additives thereto. Traditionally, these are baked steaks on the grill.

There are also varieties of natural and chopped steak, which are fried in a pan in Batter - Steak 'country-style' or a steak "a hen." The last name has a curious origin. According to one version, the so-called hamburger as he prepares for the same technology, and fried breaded chicken. According to another version, the first time for the preparation of this dish is to use fat left after frying chicken. This kind of steak is known mainly in the Americas.

But the steak tartare is popular in Europe. Interestingly, it was not invented by the Tatars, and the French. According to the latter, the Tartar nomads ate raw meat. Today, steak tartare, which is a thick cake of raw ground beef, can be ordered in many restaurants. In the middle of the cake produced raw egg, and as a garnish offered fresh onions. Of course, this dish is prepared only with the freshest meat and not stored.

All varieties of steak in common is that they can only prepare from beef. In this clearly indicates the name of the dish - «beef» in English means "beef". Steaks are not for nothing called the food for real men: this dish has a very rich flavor and firm texture. It is an ideal dish for real meat lovers. Here are just cook it can be difficult: beef - meat capricious, it is quite difficult to cook, so that the dish did not work hard, dry or "rubber".

Choice of meat

To cook a delicious steak, you must first choose a quality meat. From frozen beef good steak does not come out. At the same time, and fresh meat will not work: after slaughtering should take a few days. The best possible use of meat from a young bull and not a cow.

Cook the steak can be from different parts of the carcass, but the most delicious steaks are obtained from tender and juicy beef tenderloin. This automatically translates into the category of the prestigious steak dishes - fresh fillet is not cheap.

Pretreatment

Cut the meat across the grain should always be, otherwise the dish will be ruined irretrievably. The thickness of the pieces to be about 3-4 centimeters. Then, on the surface of the meat on both sides of shallow incisions are applied with a knife. This simple procedure, which is called karbovaniem allow steaks are not deformed during frying. In addition, a neat parallel incisions decorate the dish and ensures even cooking.

The meat is then lightly beat off a wooden mallet. This is best done through a linen cloth to soften meat fibers, but does not damage them. The thickness of the finished steak should be about one and a half centimeters.

The traditional recipe does not imply their steaks marinating. The meat is added only salt and ground black pepper, and salt the steaks should be just before hot, to not emerged from the meat juice. However, the cook often violated these rules and to hot for a while soaked pieces of meat in marinades, thus enriching the taste. Recipes marinades are numerous: you can simply grease the surface of the steak gruel of onions or mustard to make the meat more tender. And you can use "slozhnosochinennye" marinades with herbs, wine and olive oil Olive oil: useful properties . In any case, just before cooking the meat should be cleaned of spices and lightly dry with a clean cloth.

How should I fry a steak?

Usually fried steak on a well-heated frying pan (preferably cast iron) in the oil. If the oil is red-hot, and the surface of the meat dry, then immediately covered with a steak delicious crust on the outside, while inside remains juicy. As a rule, together with the meat in a frying pan roast and onions, which then served as a side dish. Sometimes steaks and fry on a dry pan or on the grill, but in any case have to cook the meat at a high temperature - the only way it will keep the juiciness.

There are several degrees of roasting steak:

• «Rare» - a steak in the middle is almost raw, it emits bright red juice;
• «Medium rare» - pink juice from the middle of the steak Cooking steak ;
• «Medium» - light pink juice released during cutting;
• «Medium well» - a small amount of colorless juice;
• «Well done» - somewhat dry meat almost completely brought to readiness.

Regardless of the degree of roasting steak served to the table immediately after cooking to warm plates. Sometimes the meat juice is poured from the frying or melted butter. As a side dish fit fried or baked potatoes, as well as fresh, roasted or boiled vegetables.

Maria Bykov

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