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Originally Posted by chamcham  it sounds easy  ut it in the oven until it is done.but how can i tell how many minutes my steak needs to be pink (that is how i like it)?i always have problem with that, i keep overcooking the stake.
thanx.cham |
You seem to like your meat in the medium-rare/medium range. Getting it right consistently has quite a bit to do with how thick your steaks are, and how you cook them. Very thin steaks, 300 gm and 20mm or less, should be cooked in a pan, and cooked very quickly. Very thick steaks, 500 gm and 30mm or more should be seared in a pan or in the broiler, then finished roasting in a 220C oven. Those in between should be cooked in a pan or under the broiler at a slightly more moderate heat than thinner steaks.
For steaks between 20 and 30mm, a good time to remember is two minutes. A room temperature beef steak will take about two minutes to sear in a hot pan. Preheat the pan on a medium-high flame, put around 1 tsp of oil in it, let the oil come to heat and add the seasoned steak. Allow it to cook exactly two minutes, then shake the pan to loosen the steak. If it won't slide, give it another 45 seconds and shake again. When the steak moves, that means it is seared and you can turn it over. If it won't release after the extra 45 seconds, turn it anyway. 3 minutes is plenty of time to sear a piece of beef.
Cook for another two to three minutes on the other side. Then push your index and middle fingers gently into the steak.
The touch methods suggested by the other posters are all good, but a little difficult to learn. If you press the steak and it's very soft, it's not cooked. If it's hard, it's overcooked. If it just pushes back, it's between medium rare and medium. This method is very simple and fine to begin with. The more you do this, the better you get at making fine distinctions and the more adept you'll be at comparing the steak's texture to your hand. At some point, you don't need that anymore. You just touch and know.
If the steak isn't cooked the first time you feel it (it won't be) reduce the heat to medium and repeat the steps, allowing another 60 seconds per side. If a steak takes more than 8 minutes total (4 minutes per side), it was too thick to cook under the broiler or in a pan and should have been finished in a hot oven.
To do this, note the weight of the steak before cooking. Preheat the oven to 220C, and when it's heated, sear both sides of the steak on top of the stove in a pan that can go into a hot oven. Then put that pan in the oven. Figure 14 minutes per 500gm for medium rare, less the time spent searing. So, if you seared a 500gm steak for 2 minutes on each side (4 minutes total) you'd subtract 4 minutes from 14 and get a total of 10 minutes in the oven.
The best way to test the temperature on a thick steak is with a thermometer. After about 40mm, the touch method is no longer reliable. Instant read thermometers are very inexpensive, and very useful. Everyone should have at least one. Unfortunately, if the steak is too thin -- less than 15mm -- it's difficult to get an accurate measurement.
When the steak is cooked, you must allow it between 5 (thin steak) and 10 (thick) minutes to rest. 7 minutes is ideal. The resting period is part of the cooking process, you shouldn't short circuit it. Rested meat will be juicier and more tender.
Finally -- never cut into a steak to see if it's done. This will always result in a dry, overcooked steak.
Hope this helps,
BDL
in the oven until it is done? 
I just use the poke with my finger method though. 
