Cooking a steak might seem straightforward, but without proper preparation it can easily turn out grey, burnt and tough. Meat holds considerable moisture, so placing a steak directly into a frying pan can release large amounts of water, creating steam that stops it from achieving a proper sear.
Instead of a golden, crispy steak, you are left with a tough piece of meat that cooks unevenly and lacks flavour as the tasty juices escape. Derek Wolf, a cook and founder of Over the Fire Cooking, says the most vital step to creating a "mouthwatering, freakin' delicious steak" is not the cooking itself but taking time to salt it in advance.
"I'd argue that when you're grilling, salt is basically your most crucial ingredient for a perfectly cooked steak. It is a flavour-enhancing ingredient and really turns a good steak great, and makes a great steak even better!" he said.
Why salt makes a difference
Salt plays a crucial role when preparing a steak, not only enhancing the flavour but also keeping the surface dry while cooking, stopping steam from spoiling it. When you salt a steak, it extracts moisture and juices that settle on the surface and gradually get reabsorbed into the meat.
This pushes all those juices deeper back into the flesh, ensuring nothing spills out during cooking, leaving you with an incredibly flavourful steak. It also makes the steak's surface considerably drier, helping it caramelise correctly in a frying pan and giving you that perfect golden, crispy crust.
All you need to do is spend a few minutes coating the steak in salt before cooking to achieve far superior taste and texture with hardly any effort.
How to make a better steak
You will need one steak (use whatever cut you like), two tablespoons of salt, cooking oil (rapeseed, sunflower or avocado), any other seasonings or herbs you like, and butter. Kosher salt is often used for cooking steak as its larger crystals extract moisture more quickly and are simpler to manage, preventing accidental over-salting of the meat. That said, sea salt, pink Himalayan salt or even ordinary table salt work perfectly well if you would rather use those.
It is also worth noting that olive oil should not be used for cooking steak, as it has a low smoke point, meaning it cannot handle the high heat needed to cook meat properly and will simply burn. Be sure to opt for a cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil (the superior choice), or rapeseed or sunflower oil.
Method and cooking times
To start, sprinkle one tablespoon of salt onto one side of the steak, then massage it into the meat until evenly distributed. You only want enough to form a thin coating across the steak. Then, place it on a plate or tray and pop it in the fridge. You should salt a steak at least an hour before cooking to allow the juices to settle back into the meat.
For the best results, leave it in the fridge for 24 hours, or even 48 hours, before cooking, as this will give it an even better texture and far superior flavour. When you are ready to get started, place a pan over a medium-high heat, pour in the oil, and once the pan is piping hot, add the steak. Allow it to cook for two to three minutes on one side, then flip it over and cook for a further three minutes.
How long you cook the steak will depend on your personal preference. A medium-rare steak takes around five minutes, a medium steak roughly seven minutes, and a well-done steak approximately 10 minutes. Once the steak is seared to your satisfaction, turn the heat down to medium-low and add a knob of butter. Feel free to throw in some garlic cloves, rosemary or any other herbs that take your fancy. As soon as the butter begins to foam, baste it over the steak for around 30 to 60 seconds, and it should be ready to go.
Switch off the heat and leave the steak to rest for five to 10 minutes before slicing into it. This allows the temperature to even out and the juices to settle back into the meat. Cutting into a steak straight after cooking will cause all the moisture to run out, leaving it dry. Being patient and taking five minutes to salt the steak beforehand, then waiting five minutes afterwards, is the secret to achieving a truly succulent steak.
