How to Broil Steak
April 3, 2009 | In: Cooking
Broil Steak
Beef steak is one of the favorite foods of people in highly developed countries. When well cooked, this can really be delicious to eat along with its side dishes. Steak, however, is not only limited to beef because you can also use lamb, pork, fish and chicken.
Beef steaks are of various cuts and are cooked in different ways. Depending on one’s preference, a steak can be cooked very rare, rare, medium rare, medium well done and well done. The lesser the cooking time, the more juice it retains.
Grilled and pan fried steaks are popular in North America. But for those who don’t have a grill, broiling steak is another alternative. This method does not require outdoor grilling because you can conveniently cook your steak indoor.
Choosing the right steak to buy is important. Pick one that is about medium thick, bright red in color and avoid those that are already brown. The thickness should be about less than one inch to let the meat cook well inside and out. A well marbled steak is perfect for broiling and this cut should have thin veins of fat.
To achieve a delicious and very tender steak, marinating it would be the best thing to do. You can purchase a ready-made marinade or you can make your own thin sauce preferably with vinegar. The acid in vinegar will help tenderize the meat fibers while your entire marinade will seep in the steak to make it tasteful when cooked. Marinating the beef for about four hours will achieve best results.
Marinate your beef in a shallow dish and cover it. If you’re marinating overnight, put it inside the refrigerator. If marinating is not an option, you can always rub salt and pepper on the meat a few minutes before cooking.
Now prepare your oven by turning it to broil and preheat. Put your meat on the broiler pan and arrange them well. Spray the broiler pan with oil beforehand to prevent the meat from sticking. A broiler pan is similar to a cookie sheet but with a grill-like top. The sheet below functions as a grease catcher while the steak is being cooked. However, you can also use a plain cookie sheet or shallow baking dish. When using these two, make sure that you monitor the cooking and move the steak to a different side of the pan every now and then because there’s a tendency for the fats to gather at the edges.
Broiling a steak can take about as short as three minutes to 18 minutes. This will depend on the beef cut you’re using, the type of oven and how your broiler runs. The key is to watch it cook and when you see that it’s done one side side, turn it over to the other side.
There are several ways to know if your steak is already cooked. You can cut a part of the steak and check the inside. If you want it rare, there should still be blood and red juices. A medium rare should show a pink color with clear juices while a well done steak is brownish gray and has brown juices as well.
You can also listen to the sizzling sound it makes. The sound usually becomes louder when the steak is becoming overcooked. Watching the edges is another way to find out if the steak is cooking well. The color of the edges will change from red to pink to brown depending on the way you want it cooked.
Once cooked, get your broiler pan and let your steak rest for a few minutes before slicing. This is the best way to retain the juices.
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